Etymology From Middle English kide, from Old Norse kið (“young goat”), from Proto-Germanic *kidją, *kittīną (“goatling, kid”), perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *gʰaydn-, *ǵʰaydn- (“goat”) or Proto-Indo-European *gidʰ- (“kid, goatling, little goat”). Compare Swedish and Danish kid, German Kitz and Kitze, Albanian kedh and kec. The sense of child has been in use since the 1590s as slang, and since the 1840s in informal use.
Informal A child, adolescent, or (loosely) a young adult.
She's a kid. It's normal for her to have imaginary friends.
“So you’ve got the kid,” said Sikes, when they had all reached the room: closing the door as he spoke. ¶ “Yes, here he is,” replied Nancy. ¶ “Did he come quiet?” inquired Sikes. ¶ “Like a lamb,” rejoined Nancy.1838, Boz [pseudonym; Charles Dickens], “Wherein Oliver Is Delivered over to Mr. William Sikes”, in Oliver Twist; […], volume II, London: Richard Bentley, […], →OCLC, page 12:
4 more examples
I said, “I’ll send the first sane soul I meet to keep you company.” As luck would have it, I never met one,—only kids, and a baker, who wouldn’t leave his cart, or take it with him either.1897 March 13 – June 19, Richard Marsh [pseudonym; Richard Bernard Heldmann], “What the Tidings Were”, in The Beetle (The Adelphi Library; 4), London: T[homas] Fisher Unwin, […], published 1920, →OCLC, book IV (In Pursuit), page 269:
"I should never dream of calling a kid like you a woman," said Digory loftily.1955, C[live] S[taples] Lewis, The Magician’s Nephew, London: The Bodley Head, →OCLC:
‘No,’ said Luke, grinning at her. ‘You’re not dull enough! […] What about the kid’s clothes? I don’t suppose they were anything to write home about, but didn’t you keep anything? A bootee or a bit of embroidery or anything at all?’1963, Margery Allingham, “The Beanspiller”, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC, page 186:
Our kids are why all of you are in this room today. Our kids are why you wake up wondering how you'll make a difference and go to bed thinking about tomorrow's lesson plan. Our kids are why you walk into that classroom every day even when you're not getting the support, or the pay, or the respect that you deserve - because you believe that every child should have a chance to succeed; that every child can be taught.2007 July 5, Barack Obama, Remarks of Senator Barack Obama to the National Education Association Annual Meeting:
2
Informal A person whose childhood took place in a particular time period or area.
Only '90s kids will remember this toy.
He's been living in Los Angeles for years now, but he's a Florida kid.
3
Informal One's son or daughter, regardless of age.
This is Bobby, he is our youngest kid.
4
Informal, In the vocative Used as a form of address for a child, teenager or young adult.
Here's looking at you, kid.1942, Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein, Howard Koch, Casablanca, spoken by Rick (Humphrey Bogart):
5
Colloquial, Informal An inexperienced person or one in a junior position.
2007 June 3, Eben Moglen, speech, Freeing the Mind: Free Software and the end of proprietary culture, I remember as a kid lawyer working at IBM in the summer of 1983, when a large insurance company in Hartford, Connecticut, for the first time asked to buy 12000 IBM PCs in a single order.
6
A young goat.
He treated the oxen like they didn't exist, but he treated the goat kid like a puppy.
I went indeed intending to kill a Kid out of my own Flock, and bring him home and dreſs it. But as I was going, I ſaw a She Goat lying down in the Shade, and two young Kids ſitting by her, […]1719 May 6 (Gregorian calendar), [Daniel Defoe], The Life and Strange Surprizing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, […], London: […] W[illiam] Taylor […], →OCLC, page 249:
1 more example
The lofty mountains roſe faint to the ſight and loſt their foreheads in the diſtant ſkies: the little hills, cloathed in darker green and ſkirted with embroidered vales, diſcovered the ſecret haunts of kids and bounding roes.1769, Firishta, translated by Alexander Dow, Tales translated from the Persian of Inatulla of Delhi, volume I, Dublin: P. and W. Wilson et al., page iv:
7
Kidskin.
I have three pairs of kid gloves. I've had kid mittens before from the Christmas tree, but never real kid gloves with five fingers.1912, Jean Webster, Daddy-Long-Legs: Letter 3:
8
The meat of a young goat.
So saying, he gathered together, and brought to a flame, the decaying brands which lay scattered on the ample hearth; took from the larger board a mess of pottage and seethed kid, placed it upon the small table at which he had himself supped, and without waiting the Jew's thanks, went to the other side of the hall;—[…].1819 December 20 (indicated as 1820), Walter Scott, chapter VII, in Ivanhoe; a Romance. […], volume I, Edinburgh: […] Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co. […], →OCLC, pages 85–86:
Nautical, Transport A small wooden mess tub in which sailors received their food.
peaceable, well-disposed chaps as ever eat duff (dough) out of a kid1830, James Fenimore Cooper, The Water-witch, Or, The Skimmer of the Seas:
We fasted till night, when one of the boys came along with a couple of "kids" containing a thin, saffron-coloured fluid, with oily particles floating on top. The young wag told us this was soup: it turned out to be nothing more than oleaginous warm water.1847 March 30, Herman Melville, “Reception from the Frenchman”, in Omoo: A Narrative of Adventures in the South Seas; […], London: John Murray, […], →OCLC, page 109:
Etymology From Middle English kide, from Old Norse kið (“young goat”), from Proto-Germanic *kidją, *kittīną (“goatling, kid”), perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *gʰaydn-, *ǵʰaydn- (“goat”) or Proto-Indo-European *gidʰ- (“kid, goatling, little goat”). Compare Swedish and Danish kid, German Kitz and Kitze, Albanian kedh and kec. The sense of child has been in use since the 1590s as slang, and since the 1840s in informal use.
1
Colloquial, Participle, Present, Usually To dupe or deceive.
Are you kidding me?
I kid you not!
1 more example
"They are all very suspicious about the wording. I am always thinking up new ways of kidding them."1965, James Holledge, What Makes a Call Girl?, London: Horwitz Publications, page 76:
2
Colloquial, Participle, Present, Usually To deceive or dupe as a joke.
Stop kidding me! It's not funny.
3
Colloquial, Participle, Present, Usually To deceive oneself by having unrealistic expectations.
You're kidding yourself if you think you can be a rockstar.
4
Colloquial, Participle, Present, Usually To mock or make a fool of (someone) in a playful way.
"Blind!" exclaimed the old fellow, sitting up in startled wonderment. "You mean it, sir? You walk all right and you look at me as if you saw me. You're kidding surely."1914, Ernest Bramah, Max Carrados:
6
Of a goat: to give birth.
That nanny over there with the white tail has kidded every year for the last five years.
"They can kid twice a year if things are right, and they often throw twins and triplets."2008, Monte Dwyer, Red In The Centre: The Australian Bush Through Urban Eyes, Monyer Pty Ltd, page 200:
Etymology Of uncertain origin. Possibly from Middle English *kidde, from Old English *cydde (“pouch, belly”), from Proto-West Germanic *kuddijā, derived from or related to Proto-Germanic *kuddô (“bag, sack, pod, shell, husk”).
1
UK, Dialectal A seed pod, usually of a leguminous plant.
Dated Synonym of faggot (“bundle of heath and furze”).
Now, for as much as this Fowle is a great deſtruction vnto the young Spawne or Frie of Fiſh, it ſhall bee good for the preſeruation thereof, to ſtake down into the bottomes of your Ponds good long Kids or Faggots of bruſh-woods, […]1631, Gervase Markham, Countrey Contentments, 4th edition, page 99: