childhood

Noun

childhood (countable and uncountable, plural childhoods)

1. (uncountable) The state of being a child.
   • Of a ſuretie, it is a ioyfull thynge to reioyce in the chyldhode of chyldren, but it is a ryght cruel thing to ſuffre the importunities of their mothers.1531 March 20 (date written; Gregorian calendar), [Antonio de Guevara], “The Answere of M. Themperour, whan Faustine His Wife Demaunded the Key of His Study”, in John Bourcher knyghte Lord Barners...
   • To our own surprise, our 40-year study of 1,000 children revealed that childhood self-control strongly predicts adult success, in people of high or low intelligence, in rich or poor, and does so throughout the entire population, with a step change in health, wealth, and social success at every...2013 September-October, Terrie Moffitt et al., “Lifelong Impact of Early Self-Control”, in American Scientist, archived from the original on 31 Jan 2014
2. The time during which one is a child, from between infancy and puberty.
   • He stood transfixed before the unaccustomed view of London at night time, a vast panorama which reminded him […] of some wood engravings far off and magical, in a printshop in his childhood.1963, Margery Allingham, “Foreword”, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC
3. (broadly) The early stages of development of something.
   • the childhood of our joyc. 1591–1595 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and...