Idiom idiom
babe in arms
Meaning
An infant.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“She held the babe in arms close to her chest.”
“The new mother sat quietly in the corner, cradling her babe in arms while the guests chatted.”
“In the painting, a young woman gazes tenderly at the babe in arms she carries, her expression soft with wonder and exhaustion.”
Origin
From Middle English *Term?*, denoting a child young enough to require being carried.
Anchors to
Last updated August 10, 2026