child
child — noun
1. a young person who has not yet reached the age when society considers them an ad
a young person who has not yet reached the age when society considers them an adult — typically from birth up to around twelve to eighteen years old
The children in the park laughed while they chased each other around a big tree.
plural 'children' for general reference to young people
Nadia helped her younger child put on a warm coat before going outside.
A doctor checked the child's temperature and said everything looked fine.
Every child in the class received a small gift on the first day of school.
文法句型
countable noun
determiner + child
plural: children
用法筆記
The plural is 'children', not 'childs'. This is an irregular plural that must be memorised as a separate form.
常見錯誤
2. a person's son or daughter, no matter how old they are — based on the family rel
a person's son or daughter, no matter how old they are — based on the family relationship rather than age
Priya called her mother to say the children would visit during the holiday.
possessive 'her' + 'children' for family relationship
Both of Diego's children are in their twenties and live in different cities.
The couple has three children — twin daughters and a younger son.
Even at age sixty, he was still treated like a child by his older brother.
- parent
a person who has a child
文法句型
possessive + child
have + number + children
用法筆記
Unlike Sense 1 (YOUNG PERSON), this sense can refer to someone of any age. A 50-year-old person is still their parents' child.
常見錯誤
3. an adult whose behaviour seems childish, showing a lack of maturity, responsibil
an adult whose behaviour seems childish, showing a lack of maturity, responsibility, or self-control — used as a criticism
Stop acting like a child and take responsibility for your own mistakes.
imperative: 'stop acting like a child' — direct criticism
The CEO called his manager a child for refusing to listen to the team.
Ravi's roommate threw a tantrum over the noise — what a child!
How can Wen be such a child about a seating arrangement for a simple team meeting?
文法句型
call + person + a child
act like a child
such a child
用法筆記
Always negative or critical. Calling an adult 'a child' is never a compliment in English. Distinguish from Sense 1 (YOUNG PERSON) where the word is neutral.
常見錯誤
4. a person whose identity, ideas, or character have been deeply shaped by a partic
a person whose identity, ideas, or character have been deeply shaped by a particular time, place, person, or situation — for example, someone called a 'child of the internet age'
As a child of the internet age, Yusuf learned to code before he turned ten.
'child of [era]' — metaphor for generational influence
Theo is a true child of the mountains; he feels lost anywhere far from them.
Beatriz, a child of the 1990s, grew up with pop music and early video games.
Kofi is a child of two cultures, with a Ghanaian father and a German mother.
文法句型
a child of + noun phrase
用法筆記
Nearly always appears in the pattern 'a child of [something]'. The noun phrase after 'of' names the influence — a time period, a place, or a set of circumstances.
5. a person who belongs to a particular family line, group, or tradition, or someth
a person who belongs to a particular family line, group, or tradition, or something that results or develops from a specific source — used for both literal descendants and figurative results
The museum exhibition showed works by children of the original Bauhaus school.
'children of [school/tradition]' — members continuing a legacy
Modern jazz is a child of blues and ragtime that came before it.
Hana is a child of the Wong family, known for their long tradition of pottery.
The new building style is the child of many different architectural ideas.
- descendant
more formal and precise for literal family lines; also used figuratively for later developments
- heir
suggests inheriting something specific (a title, style, tradition) rather than general descent
- product
neutral; emphasises the result rather than the lineage connection
- ancestor
a person from whom one is descended
- predecessor
something that came before and was replaced or developed into something else
文法句型
the child/children of + noun phrase
用法筆記
Can be used literally (family descendants) or figuratively (results, products). The figurative use overlaps with Sense 4 (INFLUENCED BY), but this sense emphasises lineage, succession, or direct descent rather than general influence.