childhood also † childhead.
(ˈtʃaɪldhʊd)
Forms: α. 1 cildhád, 2–3 childhade, 3–5 -hode, 4 -hod, 4–6 chyld(e)hode, 5 -hodde, 5–6 childehode, 6–7 child-hood, 7 -hoode, 6– childhood. β. 3–5 childhede, 4 -hed, 4–5 childehede, 5 chyldhede, 6– head, Sc. child-, chyldheid, (9 (nonce-use) childhead).
[OE. cildhád, f. cild, child + hád state, condition. For the history of the variant suffixes, see -head, -hood.]
1. The state or stage of life of a child; the time during which one is a child; the time from birth to puberty. (Formerly with pl.)
| α c 950 Lindisf. Gosp. Mark ix. 21 Soð he cuoeð from cildhad. 1205 Lay. 20311 He cuðen harpien wel an his child-haden. a 1225 Leg. Kath. 79 Ðis meiden was baðe faderles & moderles of hire childhade. 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. vi. i. (1495) 186 The fyrste chyldhode is wythout teeth..and durith vij monthes. 1535 Coverdale Eccles. xii. 1 Childehode and youth is but vanite. 1567 Mulcaster Fortescue's De Laud. Leg. (1572) 107 Other Lords..in their childhood..are brought up in the Kings house. 1596 Spenser State Irel. Wks. (1862) 553/1 Trayned up therein from their child-hoods. 1611 Shakes. Wint. T. i. i. 25. 1646 J. Hall Horæ Vac. 35 Others..understand the Scriptures from their Childhoods. 1872 E. Peacock Mabel Heron I. i. 2 They had passed an unhappy childhood. |
| β a 1300 Cursor M. 28500 (Cott.) In mi child-hede haf i wroght many thyng þat i aght noght. c 1386 Chaucer Prioress' T. 49 To synge and to rede, As smale childer doon in her childhede. 1489 Caxton Faytes of A. i. xxii. 69 From theyre chyldhede men taughte hem the vse of armes. 1588 A. King tr. Canisius' Catech. 173 b, Fra my childheid pietie grew with me. |
b. fig. (
Cf. infancy.)
| 1585 Jas. I. Ess. Poesie (Arb.) 54 It [Poesie] was bot in the infancie and chyldheid. 1592 Shakes. Rom. & Jul. iii. iii. 95 Now I haue stain'd the Childhood of our ioy. 1856 Whittier Brew. Soma i, In the childhood of the world. |
2. concr. This state or age personified.
Cf. youth.
| 1605 Shakes. Macb. ii. ii. 54 'Tis the Eye of Child-hood, That feares a painted Deuill. 1742 Gray Ode Eton Coll. ii, Ah fields..Where once my careless childhood stray'd. 1814 Scott Wav. iii, The well-governed childhood of this realm. a 1839 Praed Poems (1864) I. 321 Fair Childhood hard at play. |
† 3. Quality proper to a child, childishness.
Obs.| c 1175 Lamb. Hom. (1867) 161 Mest al þet ich habbe idon bi-fealt to child-hade. c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 2652 We sulen nu witen for it dede Ðis witterlike, or in child-hede. 1393 Gower Conf. I. 219 She upon childehod him tolde, That Perse her litel hounde is dede. a 1420 Hoccleve De Reg. Princ. 74 Considerethe how that endityng..not accorde may Withe my childhode, I am so childisshe ay. |
¶ For this sense
app. the form
childhead is used in the following (
perh. by
assoc. with
maidenhead):
| 1854 S. Dobell Balder iii, The unconscious child—Tho', for his childhead, he be special child—Is universal man. |
† b. (with
pl.) A childish action.
Obs.| c 1314 Guy Warw. (1840) 163 Ich dede gret childhod That alto long y ther abod. c 1340 Cursor M. 12577 (Trin. MS.) Mony are his childehedes..Done ar he were twelue ȝeer olde. 1340 Ayenb. 166 Þet lyeseþ hare time..ine fole pleȝes, ine childehedes, ine liȝthedes, ine zonges. |
4. second childhood: the state of childishness incident to extreme old age; dotage.
| [c 1400 Rom. Rose 399 She..turned ageyn unto childhede.] 1641 J. Jackson True Evang. T. ii. 113 S. John..died in his second childhood at Ephesus. 1789 H. Walpole Remin. ix. 76. 1833 Marryat P. Simple xxxix, Lord Privilege..was fast verging to a state of second childhood. |
† 5. = childship; filial relation.
Obs.| 1605 Shakes. Lear ii. iv. 181 Thou better know'st The Offices of Nature, bond of Childhood. 1609 R. Barnerd Sheph. Practise 18 Many discents doe not extinguish fatherhood and childhood in consanguinitie. a 1626 Bacon Max. & Uses Com. Law 27 The custome of Kent, that every male of equall degree of childhood, brotherhood, or kindred, shall inherit equally. |
6. attrib.| 1590 Shakes. Mids. N. iii. ii. 202 All schooledaies friendship, child-hood innocence. 1869 Sir J. T. Coleridge Mem. Keble 312 Their childhood sports. |