Emily Dickinson Lexicon

CHIEVE, or CHIVE, v.i. [Fr. chevir. See Achieve.]

To come to an end; to issue; to succeed. [Obs.] – Chaucer.

CHIF'FY, n.

An instant.

CHIG'GER, n.

See CHEGOE.

CHIL'BLAIN, n. [chill, Sax. cele, cold, and blain.]

A blain or sore produced by cold; a tumor affecting the hands and feet, accompanied with inflammation, pain, and sometimes ulceration. – Encyc.

CHILD, n. [plur. chil'dren. Sax. cild; in Dan. kuld is progeny, kulde is coldness, and kuler is to blow strong. Child is undoubtedly issue, that which is produced.]

1. A son or a daughter; a male or female descendant, in the first degree; the immediate progeny of parents; applied to the human race, and chiefly to a person when young. The term is applied to infants from their birth; but the time when they cease ordinarily to be so called, is not defined by custom. In strictness, a child is the shoot, issue or produce of the parents, and a person of any age, in respect to the parents, is a child. An infant. Hagar cast the child under one of the shrubs. – Gen. xxi It signifies also a person of more advanced years. Jephtha's daughter was his only child. – Judges xi. The child shall behave himself proudly. – Is. iii. A curse will be on those who corrupt the morals of their children. – J. Clarke. The application of child to a female in opposition to a male, as in Shakspeare, is not legitimate.
2. One weak in knowledge, experience, judgment or attainments; as, he is a mere child. Behold I can not speak, for I am a child. – Jer. i.
3. One young in grace. – 1 John ii. One who is humble and docile. – Matth. xviii. One who is unfixed in principles. – Eph. iv.
4. One is born again, spiritually renewed and adopted; as, a child of God.
5. One who is the product of another; or whose principles and morals are the product of another. Thou child of the devil. – Acts xiii. That which is the product or effect of something else. This noble passion, child of integrity. – Shak.
6. In the plural, the descendants of a man however remote; as, the children of Israel; the children of Edom.
7. The inhabitants of a country; as, the children of Seir. – 2 Chron. xxv. To be with child, to be pregnant. Gen. xvi. 11. xix. 36.

CHILD'-BEAR-ING, a. [or ppr. See Bear.]

Bearing or producing children.

CHILD'-BEAR-ING, n.

The act of producing or bringing forth children; parturition. – Milton. Addison.

CHILD'BED, n. [child and bed.]

The state of a woman bringing forth a child or being in labor; parturition.

CHILD'-BIRTH, n. [child and birth.]

The act of bringing forth a child; travail; labor; as, the pains of childbirth. – Taylor.

CHILD'ED, a.

Furnished with a child. [Not used.] – Shak.

CHILD'ER-MAS-DAY, n. [child, mass and day.]

An anniversary of the Church of England, held on the 28th of December, in commemoration of the children of Bethlehem slain by Herod; called also Innocents' Day. – Bailey. Encyc.

CHILD'HOOD, n. [Sax. cildhad. See Hood.]

1. The state of a child, or the time in which persons are children, including the time from birth to puberty. But in a more restricted sense, the state or time from infancy to puberty. Thus we say, infancy, childhood, youth, and manhood. Childhood and youth are vanity. – Eccl. xi.
2. The properties of a child. – Dryden.

CHILD'ING, ppr. [The verb to child is not now used.]

Bearing children; producing; as, childing women. – Arbuthnot.

CHILD'ISH, a.

1. Belonging to a child; trifling; puerile. When I became a man, I put away childish things. – 1 Cor. xiii.
2. Pertaining to a child; as, childish years or age; childish sports.
3. Pertaining to children; ignorant; silly; weak; as, childish fear.

CHILD'ISH-LY, adv.

In the manner of a child; in a trifling way; in a weak or foolish manner.

CHILD'ISH-NESS, n.

Triflingness, puerility, the state or qualities of a child, in reference to manners. But in reference to the mind, simplicity, harmlessness, weakness of intellect.

CHILD'LESS, a.

Destitute of children or offspring. – 1 Sam xv. 33.

CHILD'LESS-NESS, n.

State of being without children. – Everett.

CHILD'LIKE, a.

Resembling a child or that which belongs to children; becoming a child; meek; submissive; dutiful; as, childlike obedience.

CHILD'LY, a.

Like a child.

CHIL'DREN, n. plur.

of Child.

CHIL'IAD, n. [Gr. χιλιας, from χιλια, a thousand.]

1. A thousand; a collection or sum, containing a thousand individuals or particulars. – Holder.
2. The period of a thousand years. – Encyc.

CHIL'I-A-GON, n. [Gr. χιλια, a thousand, and γωνια, a corner.]

A plane figure of a thousand angles and sides. – Math. Dict.

CHIL-I-A-HE'DRON, n. [Gr. χιλια, a thousand, and ἑδρα, a base.]

A figure of a thousand equal sides.

CHIL'I-ARCH, n. [Gr. χιλια, a thousand, and αρχος, a chief.]

The military commander or chief of a thousand men.