kid

KID/kɪd/

Pluralkids

Verbkids, kidding, kidded

14 meanings of kid

Practice

1
childnouncolloquialcountable or uncountable
A child or young person, or someone who grew up at a certain time or place.
The kid next door helps me carry groceries every week.
Three kids were playing in the park after school.
UsageIn formal writing, say child or children.
Similarchild, youngster
Oppositeadult, grown-up
Note
2
own childnouncolloquialcountable or uncountable
A person's son or daughter, even when they are grown up.
My kid just turned forty but still calls every Sunday.
Both her kids live across the country now.
UsageUsually used with words like my, your, or her: my kids.
Similarchild
3
jokeverbcolloquialintransitive
To joke, or to trick or tease someone, usually for fun.
Don't take it seriously. I kid all the time.
She was just kidding when she said that.
UsageSay just kidding after a joke.
Similarjoke, tease, fool, josh
Note
4
adjective
Younger, when you are talking about a brother or sister.
My kid brother always wants to play video games with me.
She shares a bedroom with her two kid sisters.
Similarlittle, younger, baby
Oppositebig, older
Note

Less common meanings

5
young goatnouncountable or uncountable
A baby goat, or a baby antelope.
Just as a baby dog is a puppy, a baby goat is a kid.
The kid stayed close to its mother in the field.
Two kids were born on the farm this spring.
UsageSay goat kid to be clear.
Note
6
direct addressnouncolloquialcountable or uncountable
A friendly way to speak directly to a child or young person.
Hey kid, can you give me a hand with this box?
Nice work, kid. You earned it.
UsageUse it like a name: Hey, kid. It can sound friendly or rude.
Similaryoungster, child
Note
7
nouncolloquialcountable or uncountable
A person who is new and does not have much experience yet.
She's the new kid in the office and is still learning the system.
Senior partners often overlook the kids fresh out of school.
UsageSay the new kid for a new person at work.
Similaryoungster
Oppositeveteran
Note
8
fool yourselfverbcolloquialreflexivetransitive
To make yourself believe something that is not true or not likely.
Like telling yourself a happy story that you know isn't really true.
Don't kid yourself. That test will be hard.
He kids himself that he'll start exercising tomorrow.
UsageSay Don't kid yourself to mean see the truth.
Similarfool, deceive, delude
9
goat meatnoununcountable
The meat that comes from a young goat.
We slow-roasted kid for the holiday meal.
In many countries, kid is eaten at spring festivals.
UsageSay roast kid, like roast lamb.
Similarcabrito
Note
10
goat leathernoununcountable
Soft leather made from the skin of a young goat.
These gloves are made from kid, which is very soft.
The shoes had a lining of smooth kid.
UsageMost often in kid gloves.
Note
11
give birthverbintransitive
When a female goat gives birth to one or more baby goats.
Our goat will kid sometime next week.
The two nanny goats kidded early this spring.
UsageSay the goat kidded, with two ds.
Note
12
noundatedcountable or uncountable
A trick or joke meant to fool someone for fun.
UsageToday people say joke instead.
Note
13
noun
A small wooden tub that sailors used to hold their food.
14
noundated
A bundle of rough twigs and brushwood tied together for burning.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of kid apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

It comes from an Old Norse word kið meaning 'young goat'. The meaning of 'child' was in use as slang by the 1600s.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

English kid derives from Old Norse kið. en.wiktionary.org
Old Norse kið means young goat. en.wiktionary.org
Kid meaning child was used as slang by the seventeenth century. gutenberg.org