baby

Etymology

From Middle English baby, babie (“baby”), a diminutive form of babe (“babe, baby”), equivalent to babe + -y/-ie (“endearing and diminutive suffix”). Perhaps ultimately imitative of baby talk (compare babble).

noun

1. A very young human, particularly from conception or birth to a couple of years old or until walking is fully mastered.
   In that film, I often hid my head in my hands, unable to watch scenes about dead babies and diving into gruesome lavatories. January 19, 2017, Peter Bradshaw, “T2 Trainspotting review – choose a sequel that doesn't disappoint”, in The Guardian
2. Any very young animal, especially a vertebrate; many species have specific names for their babies, such as kittens for the babies of cats, puppies for the babies of dogs, and chicks for the babies of birds. See Category:Baby animals for more.
3. Unborn young; a fetus.
   When is your baby due?
4. A person who is immature, infantile or feeble.
   Stand up for yourself – don't be such a baby!
5. A person who is new to or inexperienced in something.
   I only qualified as an architect this summer, so I'm still a baby.
6. The lastborn of a family; the youngest sibling, irrespective of age.
   Adam is the baby of the family.
   "You are very dull this morning, Sheriff," said the youngest daughter of the house, who, being the baby and pretty, had grown pettishly privileged in speech. 1895, S. R. Crockett, A Cry Across the Black Water
7. A person's romantic partner.
   Well, since my baby left me, Well, I found a new place to dwell. Well, it's down at the end of Lonely Street At Heartbreak Hotel. 1956, “Heartbreak Hotel”, Mae Boren Axton, Tommy Durden, Elvis Presley (lyrics), performed by Elvis Presley
8. A term of endearment used to refer to or address one's girlfriend, boyfriend or spouse.
   Too busy thinking about my baby, and I ain't got time for nothing else.
   Baby, don't cry.
9. (informal) A form of address to a person considered to be attractive.
   Hey baby, what are you doing later?
10. A concept or creation endeared by its creator.
    This test program I've designed is my new baby.
11. A pet project or responsibility.
    You need to talk to John about that – it's his baby.
    Sovnarkom was Lenin's baby, it was where he focused all his energies […]. 1996, Orlando Figes, A People's Tragedy, Folio Society, published 2015, page 902
12. An affectionate term for anything.
    See my new car here? I can't wait to take this baby for a drive.
13. (archaic) A small image of an infant; a doll.
14. (often attributive) One who is new to an identity or community.
    These more general spells and rituals can also be helpful for baby witches, who might want more time to practice before they hop into highly-specific spells. 2020, Nina Kahn, The Joy of Hex: Modern Spells Without All the Bullsh*t, unnumbered page
    That was even worse than blurting my sexuality like I had when I was what we called a “baby dyke” in college, desperate to find other lesbians for friendship or more. 2020, Jane Kolven, The Holiday Detour, unnumbered page
    As someone who is still a 'baby trans', these collaborations have taught me so much about what it means to live outside cisnormativity. 2021, Yve Rees, quoted in Sam Elkin & Yve Rees, "Spilling the T", Bent Street: Australian LGBTIQA+ Arts, Writing & Ideas, Volume 5, Issue 1, unnumbered page

adj

1. (of vegetables, etc.) Picked when small and immature (as in baby corn, baby potatoes).
2. Newest (overall, or in some group or state); most inexperienced.
   Mrs. Paull held out her hand to the babyest of the quartette, as they tiptoed up to the bed. “Lift her up, please, Marie!” she said, motioning to the place enclosed by her arm. When the rosy cheek touched hers upon the pillow, she asked ... 1894, Marion Harland, The Royal Road, Or, Taking Him at His Word, page 136
   That evening, we grouped about the fire in the parlor, a wide circle that left room for the babyest of the party to disport themselves upon the rug, in the glow of the grate piled with cannel coal. 1910, Marion Harland, Marion Harland's Autobiography: The Story of a Long Life, page 408
   Of when I was a baby editor. Very baby, it was actually a kind of work experience, I was still at university but I knew what I wanted. With a small independent publisher, good reputation, did some marvellous books, […] 2006, Marion Halligan, The Apricot Colonel, Allen & Unwin
   […] party for Halloween proper? Just the four of us and some goofy, spooky kids' movies, you know? Some cute pumpkin-shaped cupcakes? I could make my dog a little costume. He could be a baby witch. The babyest Scapegracer.” I blinked. 2020, Hannah Abigail Clarke, The Scapegracers, Erewhon, page 391
3. (in the comparative or superlative) Like or pertaining to a baby, in size or youth; small, young.
   Spider. Here let us begin at the beginning, at the babyest of books for Edith's nursery. 1888, Monthly Packet, page 170
   She let it drop out of her sleeve, and it was two Chings — the dearest, littlest, babyest, tiny Chings — little balls of fur! And she ran away, and daddy's father picked them up, and put them in his pockets, and brought them home, […] 1894, Edith E. Cuthell, Two Little Children and Ching, page 107
   Lemon-juice for ink spots: Not many weeks ago the babyest member of our household - perhaps moved by a hereditary tendency toward ink - slinging - divided the contents of an ink bottle impartially between the tiles of the bath-room floor ... 1908, Marion Harland, Housekeeper's Guide and Family Physician, page 98
   "There's a babier baby than Mike," she said. "But you will see her to-morrow. Aren't we rich? Come in and see Matilda - you won't find her much changed. It's so absurd to see her with all these children." 1908, Mary Findlater, Jane Helen Findlater, Crossriggs, page 25
   Now, we all believe in national defense, but we also believe in peacetime activity, and my personal idea about aviation is that it is still in its absolute “babyest” type of infancy, that it is nothing even approaching what it will be even 10 years [from now]. 1936, United States. Congress. House. Committee on Military Affairs, To Promote the National Defense by Stengthening the Air Reserve, Hearings ..., on H.R. 4348, 12241, Feb 27, April 22, 1936, page 31
   A doll show held the attention of children at Allen as a special feature during the week. Winners were:[…]baby-est doll, Betty McQueary. 7 August 1937, “Recreation Activities in City Attain New Peak in Past Week”, in The State Journal, eighty-third year, Lansing, Mich., section “Doll Show at Allen”, page 2, column 7
   He’ll Joseph H. Ball] be our baby senator for the next two years. Senator Rush D. Holt of West Virginia will be his baby rival briefly, but Rush is a lame duck. He’ll be out of the picture at the end of the year and Joe will be the baby-est of them all. 22 October 1940, Charles P. Stewart, “Washington At A Glance”, in The Evening Independent, volume LXXIV, number 130, Massillon, Oh., page five, column 2
   The victorious individuals were as follows: Doll Contest—[…]“baby-est,” 1st, Mary Grew, 2nd, Susan Shamlian; 4 August 1960, Herb Smith, “Recreation In Cedar Grove”, in Verona-Cedar Grove Times, volume XII, number 31, Verona, N.J., page 26, column 2
   One of them, Allure Potemkin (and don’t you wish that was your name?), hikes up her slip and does a riotous dance number called Baby Legs. Leona Brausen, whose own dimpled gams — “baby-er than ever” as she says — inspired the role, is back onstage Saturday to dance the dance for the last time. 2 August 2007, Liz Nicholls, “Gala to mark Teatro’s entry into the quarter-century club”, in Edmonton Journal, Edmonton, Alta., page D3, column 1

verb

1. (transitive) To coddle; to pamper somebody like an infant.
   Then the man effected measles and stayed off the job for six weeks, babying himself at home, though he lived just round the corner from my half-built house. 1944, Emily Carr, “Friction”, in The House of All Sorts
2. (transitive) To tend (something) with care; to be overly attentive to (something), fuss over.
   In the past 27 years, "Mr. Mac," as he is known to his 46,000 teammates, has built and babied his McDonnell Co. from nothing into a $1 billion-a-year corporation. 31 March 1967, “Mr. Mac and His Team”, in Time
   1912, Linda Craig, interviewed by Theresa Forte, "Tree and Twig farm — a treasure chest of heirloom tomatoes," Welland Tribune, 25 May, 2012, https://web.archive.org/web/20171205052150/http://www.wellandtribune.ca/2012/05/23/tree-and-twig-farm--a-treasure-chest-of-heirloom-tomatoes I have grown them for years and although some years are better than others, I have always had loads of tomatoes by not babying them, going easy on the water, and fertilizing with compost in the planting hole.