Definition of "baby"

In that film, I often hid my head in my hands, unable to watch scenes about dead babies and diving into gruesome lavatories.

2017 January 19, Peter Bradshaw, “T2 Trainspotting review – choose a sequel that doesn't disappoint”, in The Guardian‎

"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

"He's a year older than me." "You're the baby, eh?"

1930, Norman Lindsay, Redheap, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, published 1965, page 114

Well, since my baby left me,Well, I found a new place to dwell.Well, it's down at the end of Lonely StreetAt Heartbreak Hotel.

1956, “Heartbreak Hotel”, Mae Boren Axton, Tommy Durden, Elvis Presley (lyrics), performed by Elvis Presley

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

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

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

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 .

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.

1937 August 7, “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.

1940 October 22, 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;

1960 August 4, 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.

2007 August 2, Liz Nicholls, “Gala to mark Teatro’s entry into the quarter-century club”, in Edmonton Journal, Edmonton, Alta., page D3, column 1

[…] though he tried to be gruff and mature, he yielded to her and was glad to be babied.

1922, Sinclair Lewis, Babbitt, New York, N.Y.: Harcourt, Brace and Company

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

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.

1967 March 31, “Mr. Mac and His Team”, in Time

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.

1912, Linda Craig, interviewed by Theresa Forte, "Tree and Twig farm — a treasure chest of heirloom tomatoes," Welland Tribune, 25 May, 2012