Etymology : Middle English enfaunt, from Middle French enfant, from Latin infant-, infans, from infant-, infans, adjective, incapable of speech, young, from in- + fant-, fans, present participle of fari to speak; more at BAN
Pronunciation : 'in-f&nt
Function : noun
Date : 14th century
1. baby, very young child, toddler, tot; minor; beginner. of or pertaining to infants or infancy; being in infancy; baby, babyish; pertaining to a minor. infant\in"fant\ , n. [l. infans; pref. in- not + fari to speak: cf. f. enfant, whence oe. enfaunt. see:
fame, and cf. infante, infanta.].
2. a child in the first period of life, beginning at his birth; a young babe; sometimes, a child several years of age. and tender cries of infants pierce the ear. pitt.
3. (law) a person who is not of full age, or who has not attained the age of legal capacity; a person under the age of twenty-one years; a minor.note: an infant under seven years of age is not penally responsible; between seven and fourteen years of age, he may be convicted of a malicious offense if malice be proved. he becomes of age on the day preceding his twenty-first birthday, previous to which time an infant has no capacity to contract.
4. same as infante. [obs.]infant \in"fant\ , a.
5. of or pertaining to infancy, or the first period of life; tender; not mature; as, infant strength.
6. intended for young children; as, an infant school.infant \in"fant\, v. t. [cf. f. enfanter.] to bear or bring forth, as a child; hence, to produce, in general. [obs.] this worthy motto, "no bishop, no king," is infanted out of the same fears.
7. A child in the first period of life, beginning at his birth; a young babe; sometimes, a child several years of age.
8. A person who is not of full age, or who has not attained the age of legal capacity; a person under the age of twenty-one years; a minor.
9. Same as Infante.
10. Of or pertaining to infancy, or the first period of life; tender; not mature; as, infant strength.
11. Intended for young children; as, an infant school.
12. To bear or bring forth, as a child; hence, to produce, in general.
13. 1. An infant is a baby or very young child. young mums with infants in prams the infant mortality rate in Britain.
14. Infants are children between the ages of five and seven, who go to an infant school. You use the infants to refer to a school or class for such children. You've been my best friend ever since we started in the infants.
15. Infant means designed especially for very young children. an infant carrier in the back of a car.
16. An infant organization or system is new and has not developed very much. The infant company was based in Germany.