Etymology : Middle English youthe, from Old English geoguth; akin to Old English geong young; more at YOUNG
Pronunciation : yüth
Function : noun
Date : before 12th century
1. childhood; child; young person. youth\youth\ (ūth), n.; pl. youths (ūths; 264) or collectively youth. [oe. youthe, youh?e, &yogh;uhe?e, &yogh;uwe?e, &yogh;eo&yogh;e?e, as. geogu?, geogo?; akin to os. jug?, d. jeugd, ohg. jugund, g. jugend, goth. junda. ?281. see:
young.].
2. the quality or state of being young; youthfulness; juvenility. "in my flower of youth." such as in his face youth smiled celestial.
3. the part of life that succeeds to childhood; the period of existence preceding maturity or age; the whole early part of life, from childhood, or, sometimes, from infancy, to manhood. he wondered that your lordship would suffer him to spend his youth at home. those who pass their youth in vice are justly condemned to spend their age in folly. --rambler.
4. a young person; especially, a young man. seven youths from athens yearly sent.
5. young persons, collectively. it is fit to read the best authors to youth first. jonson.youth n.
6. a young person (especially a young man or boy) [syn: young person , younker, spring chicken].
7. young people collectively; "rock music appeals to the young"; "youth everywhere rises in revolt" [syn: young] [ant: aged].
8. the time of life between childhood and maturity.
9. early maturity; the state of being young or immature or inexperienced.
10. an early period of development; "during the youth of the project" [syn: early days].
11. the freshness and vitality characteristic of a young person [syn: youthfulness, juvenility].
12. The quality or state of being young; youthfulness; juvenility.
13. The part of life that succeeds to childhood; the period of existence preceding maturity or age; the whole early part of life, from childhood, or, sometimes, from infancy, to manhood.
14. A young person; especially, a young man.
15. Young persons, collectively. the freshness and vitality characteristic of a young person early maturity; the state of being young or immature or inexperienced the time of life between childhood and maturity an early period of development; "during the youth of the project".
16. 1. Someone's youth is the period of their life during which they are a child, before they are a fully mature adult. In my youth my ambition had been to be an inventor. the comic books of my youth.
17. Youth is the quality or state of being young. Gregory was still enchanted with Shannon's youth and joy and beauty The team is now a good mixture of experience and youth.
18. Journalists often refer to young men as youths, especially when they are reporting that the young men have caused trouble. gangs of youths who broke windows and looted shops.
19. The youth are young people considered as a group. He represents the opinions of the youth of today.