noun
    
    plural -bies
    
    [count] a very young child
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    a very young animal
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    the youngest member of a group
    
    
    
    
    
    someone who is young in comparison with others
    
    
    
    someone who behaves like a child especially;  :someone who is afraid or who complains a lot
    
    
    
    
    
    slang
    
    a lover or sweetheart
    
    
    
    This sense of baby is common in song lyrics.
    
    b - used as an informal way of addressing a lover, friend, etc.; used especially by men to address women and by women to address men
    
    
    
    This sense of baby is sometimes used in a very informal way by men to address an attractive woman.
    
    
    
    something that someone has created and developed with special personal attention or interest
    
    
    
    hold the baby
    
    
    
    throw out the baby with the bathwater
    
    informal :to get rid of something you want while trying to get rid of something you do not want
    
    
    
    adjective
    
    always used before a noun
    
    very small :much smaller than usual
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    verb
    
    -bies; -bied; -bying
    
    [+ obj] to treat (someone) like a baby :to be kind or too kind to (someone)
    
    
    
    
    
    to operate or treat (something) in a very careful and gentle way