baby

A2 · Elementary Countable noun

n. a very young animal.

n. the young offspring of an animal, especially a vertebrate.

日本語:赤ちゃん※

“The baby birds waited in the nest for their mother to bring food.”

“Conservationists observed the baby elephants following the matriarch across the savannah during the seasonal migration.”

B1 · Intermediate Countable noun Informal

n. a name you use for your boyfriend, girlfriend, or spouse.

n. a term of endearment used to address or refer to a romantic partner.

“I'll be home late tonight, baby, so don't wait up for dinner.”

“In many contemporary pop songs, the word baby is used as a generic vocative to address a lover or a person of romantic interest.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Informal

n. a project or idea that you have created and care about very much.

n. a project, concept, or organisation that one has created and treats with special care or pride.

“This new software company is his baby; he started it in his garage.”

“The community garden was her baby, and she spent every weekend ensuring the irrigation system and soil quality were perfect.”

B1 · Intermediate Countable noun

n. the youngest person in a family, even if they are now an adult.

n. the youngest member of a family unit, regardless of their current age.

“Even though he is thirty, he is still the baby of the family.”

“As the baby of the family, she often felt she had to work harder to be taken seriously by her older brothers.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate

v. to treat someone like a baby by doing too much for them.

v. to treat someone with excessive care or overprotectiveness; to pamper or coddle.

“Stop babying him; he is old enough to tie his own shoes.”

“The coach refused to baby the star athlete, insisting that every member of the team follow the same rigorous training schedule.”

B1 · Intermediate Cooking

adj. used to describe vegetables that are picked when they are small.

adj. denoting a variety of vegetable harvested before reaching full maturity.

“We served roasted baby carrots and potatoes with the main course.”

“The chef preferred using baby spinach for the salad because the leaves are more tender and have a milder flavour than mature ones.”