Kid
/kɪd/noun
A young goat; also an informal term for a child.
Did you know?The child-sense of kid is relatively modern and likely arose from comparing children to lively young goats, while the older goat word itself has deep Germanic roots.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
cȳd?
“The exact pre-modern history is uncertain; the modern goat sense is not inherited directly from a clearly attested Old English form.”
Early Middle English
English
kidde
“A young goat, especially a young one.”
16th Century
English
kid
“A young goat; later used colloquially for a child.”
19th Century
English
kid
“Informal term for a child or young person.”
Modern English
English
kid
“A child; also a young goat.”