English Reference
Noun

kiddie

n.
C1 Advanced US /ˈkɪdi/ UK /kˈɪdi/ kid·die UK spelling kiddies

n.a child or a young person. This is a very informal word that you might hear in old movies or songs.

n.a child or a young person. Informal in register; primarily used in historical contexts or specific regional dialects.


SIMPLE

The old man treated every stranger like a kiddie.

CONTEXTUAL

In the old black-and-white films, the villain often treats the hero's family members as if they were just a bunch of kiddies.

COMPLEX

The protagonist's perspective is filtered through a lens of nostalgia, where even the most mundane interactions with his younger siblings are framed as innocent moments with a bunch of kiddies.


From kid + -ie.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Occasional
Updated