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

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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
  • Anxiety about data centers, social platforms, children and litigation now sits beside concerns about model safety.
    — Paulo Carvão, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Those allegations had resulted in her losing custody of her children long before the shooting.
    — Isabel Rosales, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of child
Noun
  • Residents didn’t feel safe walking their dogs down the street, let alone taking their kids to the neighborhood park.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Aliso Beach has a steep drop-off near the shoreline, where several kids took the warnings seriously.
    — Michele Gile, CBS News, 31 July 2026
Definition of kid
Noun
  • Officials say that this is the time of year when mother bears push out their cubs to be on their own, and that sometimes leads them into unusual places, which can be more of a danger to them instead of the public.
    — Cecilio Padilla, CBS News, 5 Aug. 2026
  • The sow noticed me in that same moment and ran away with her cubs along the western trail and out of sight over the ridge.
    — Todd Orr, Outdoor Life, 30 July 2026
Definition of cub

Browse Nearby Words

bails out
bairn
bairns
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Cite this Entry

“Bairn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bairn. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

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