also † childhead. Forms: α. 1 cildhád, 2–3 childhade, 3–5 -hode, 4 -hod, 4–6 chyld(e)hode, 5 -hodde, 5–6 childehode, 6–7 child-hood, 7 -hoode, 6– childhood. β. 3–5 childhede, 4 -hed, 4–5 childehede, 5 chyldhede, 6– head, Sc. child-, chyldheid, (9 (nonce-use) childhead). [OE. cildhád, f. cild, CHILD + hád state, condition. For the history of the variant suffixes, see -HEAD, -HOOD.]
1. The state or stage of life of a child; the time during which one is a child; the time from birth to puberty. (Formerly with pl.)
α. c. 950. Lindisf. Gosp., Mark ix. 21. Soð he cuoeð from cildhad.
c. 1205. Lay., 20311. He cuðen harpien wel an his child-haden.
a. 1225. Leg. Kath., 79. Ðis meiden was baðe faderles & moderles of hire childhade.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., VI. i. (1495), 186. The fyrste chyldhode is wythout teeth … and durith vij monthes.
1535. Coverdale, Eccles. xii. 1. Childehode and youth is but vanite.
1567. Mulcaster, Fortescue’s De Laud. Leg. (1572), 107. Other Lords … in their childhood … are brought up in the Kings house.
1596. Spenser, State Irel., Wks. (1862), 553/1. Trayned up therein from their child-hoods.
1611. Shaks., Wint. T., I. i. 25. Sicilia cannot shew himselfe ouer-kind to Bohemia: They were trayn’d together in their Child-hoods.
1646. J. Hall, Horæ Vac., 35. Others … understand the Scriptures from their Childhoods.
1872. E. Peacock, Mabel Heron, I. i. 2. They had passed an unhappy childhood.
β. a. 1300. Cursor M., 28500 (Cott.). In mi child-hede haf i wroght many thyng þat i aght noght.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Prioress’s T., 49. To synge and to rede, As smale childer doon in her childhede.
1489. Caxton, Faytes of A., I. xxii. 69. From theyre chyldhede men taughte hem the vse of armes.
1588. A. King, trans. Canisius’ Catech., 173 b. Fra my childheid pietie grew with me.
b. fig. (Cf. infancy.)
1585. Jas. I., Ess. Poesie (Arb.), 54. It [Poesie] was bot in the infancie and chyldheid.
1592. Shaks., Rom. & Jul., III. iii. 95. Now I haue stain’d the Childhood of our ioy.
1856. Whittier, Brew. Soma, i. In the childhood of the world.
2. concr. This state or age personified. Cf. youth.
1605. Shaks., Macb., II. ii. 54. ’Tis the Eye of Child-hood, That feares a painted Deuill.
1742. Gray, Ode Eton Coll., ii. Ah fields … Where once my careless childhood stray’d.
1814. Scott, Wav., iii. The well-governed childhood of this realm.
a. 1839. Praed, Poems (1864), I. 321. Fair Childhood hard at play.
† 3. Quality proper to a child, childishness. Obs.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom. (1867), 161. Mest al þet ich habbe idon bi-fealt to child-hade.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 2652. We sulen nu witen for it dede Ðis witterlike, or in child-hede.
1393. Gower, Conf., I. 219. She upon childehod him tolde, That Perse her litel hounde is dede.
a. 1420. Occleve, De Reg. Princ., 74. Considerethe how that endityng … not accorde may Withe my childhode, I am so childisshe ay.
¶ For this sense app. the form childhead is used in the following (perh. by assoc. with maidenhead).
1854. Syd. Dobell, Balder, iii. 11. The unconscious child, Tho’ for his childhead he be special child, Is universal man.
† b. (with pl.) A childish action. Obs.
c. 1314. Guy Warw. (1840), 163. Ich dede gret childhod That alto long y ther abod.
c. 1340. Cursor M., 12577 (Trin. MS.). Mony are his childehedes … Done ar he were twelue ȝeer olde.
1340. Ayenb., 166. Þet lyeseþ hare time … ine fole pleȝes, ine childehedes, ine liȝthedes, ine zonges.
4. Second childhood: the state of childishness incident to extreme old age; dotage.
[c. 1400. Rom. Rose, 399. She … turned ageyn unto childhede.]
1641. J. Jackson, True Evang. T., II. 113. S. Iohn … died in his second childhood at Ephesus.
1789. H. Walpole, Remin., ix. 76. I began with tales of my nursery and prove that I have been writing in my second childhood.
1833. Marryat, P. Simple, xxxix. Lord Privilege … was fast verging to a state of second childhood.
† 5. = CHILDSHIP; filial relation. Obs.
1605. Shaks., Lear, II. iv. 181. Thou better know’st The Offices of Nature, bond of Childhood.
1609. R. Barnerd, Sheph. Practise, 18. Many discents doe not extinguish fatherhood and childhood in consanguinitie.
a. 1626. Bacon, Max. & Uses Com. Law, 27. The custome of Kent, that every male of equall degree of childhood, brotherhood, or kindred, shall inherit equally.
6. attrib.
1590. Shaks., Mids. N., III. ii. 202. All schooledaies friendship, child-hood innocence.
1869. Sir J. T. Coleridge, Mem. Keble, 312. Their childhood sports.
