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of being an infant; the first part of life; early childhood. The babe yet lies in smiling infancy. Milton. Their love in early infancy began. Dryden.

One of the stages of life; as, the age of infancy, of youth, etc. Shak.

applied to a member of any sect holding that rebaptism is necessary for those baptized in infancy.

xpressing more strongly than -ance the idea of quality or state; as, constancy, buoyancy, infancy.

The state or period of infancy.

ie closely; to fasten tightly. The women of China, by bracing and binding them from their infancy, have very little feet. Locke. Some who spurs had first braced on. Sir W. Scott.

To take care of in infancy, and through the age of youth; to bring up; to nurse and foster. To bring thee forth with pain, with care to breed. Dryden. Born and bred on the verge of the wilderness. Everett.

care or anxiety. hence, cheerful; light-hearted. Spenser. Sleep she as sound as careless infancy. Shak.

A young person of either sex. esp. one between infancy and youth; hence, one who exhibits the characteristics of a very young person, as innocence, obedience, trustfulness, limited understanding, etc. When I was child. I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put awa…

tate of being a child; the time in which persons are children; the condition or time from infancy to puberty. I have walked before you from my childhood. 1. Sam. xii. 2.

Infancy, or very early life. From their cradles bred together. Shak. A form of worship in which they had been educated from their cradles. Clarendon.

We deduct from the computation of our years that part of our time which is spent in . . . infancy. Norris.

ualification to do a thing; legal incapacity or incompetency. The disabilities of idiocy, infancy, and coverture. Abbott.

; senility; as, a venerable man, now in his dotage. Capable of distinguishing between the infancy and the dotage of Greek literature. Macaulay.

orn before another; prior in years; senior; earlier; older; as, his elder brother died in infancy; -- opposed to Ant: younger, and now commonly applied to a son, daughter, child, brother, etc. The elder shall serve the younger. Gen. xxv. 23. But ask of elder days, earth's vernal hour. Keble. Elder hand (Card Playing),…

ty. In France it is usual to bring children into company, and cherish in them, from their infancy, a kind of forwardness and assurance. Addison.

brain; dropsy of the brain. It is due usually to tubercular meningitis. When it occurs in infancy, it often enlarges the head enormously.

stitution or gratitude is due; as, we are indebted to our parents for their care of us in infancy; indebted to friends for help and encouragement. Cowper.

Unfitness; ineptitude. The feebleness and miserable ineptness of infancy. Dr. H. More.

Of or pertaining to infancy, or the first period of life; tender; not mature; as, infant strength.