bairn

noun

ˈbern How to pronounce bairn (audio)
Definition of bairnnext
chiefly Scottish
as in child
a young person who is between infancy and adulthood at the Scottish festival there were traditional contests of strength and endurance, Celtic fiddlers, and groups of bairns performing Highland flings

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bairn The Wallace also has a children’s menu and wee bathrobes for the bairns in the marble guest bathrooms. — Nicole Trilivas, Travel + Leisure, 16 July 2024 Later, Marsali once again fails to read the room and talks to Ian about all of her bairns and the joys of a big family. — Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 13 Apr. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bairn
  1. child
  2. kid
  3. cub
Noun
  • In total, the support is equal to almost 70,000 Singapore dollars ($55,000) by the time a child is 17.
    — Angelica Ang, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, settled a lawsuit over the harms of social media to children brought by California and other states.
    — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of child
Noun
  • And suppose, additionally, that Haidt is also right, and that—for many kids—smartphones are deepening these problems and adding new ones.
    — Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Bakewell’s donations weren’t the only ones to pose issues for Brotherhood Crusade, which provides an array of services aimed at keeping kids from joining gangs.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of kid
Noun
  • One of the three cubs had escaped on its own before rescuers arrived and has since been reunited with its family.
    — Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Footage released by the Los Angeles County Fire Department shows the mother bear and two of her cubs exiting the tank.
    — Denis Akbari, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of cub

Browse Nearby Words

bails out
bairn
bairns
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bairn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bairn. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All