noun / adjective
infant
IN-funt/ˈɪnfənt/
A child in the earliest stage of life.
The infant lies face up on a firm, clear mattress.
Etymology
The pieces literally describe someone unable to speak. Latin turned that description into a noun for a young child, giving the word its connection with babies.
In context
two markers are used kind of as a proxy for how much resuscitation the infant needed the first one is having an apgar of five or less at ten minutes of life
More examples
- Infants need frequent feeding throughout the day and night.
- The clinic offers classes in infant care.
- The country's infant industry needs time to grow.
Forms
infant · infants
infancy noun — The earliest stage of childhood or development.
Similar words
- baby
- A more everyday term for a very young child.
- newborn
- Specifically a baby in the first weeks after birth.