I've actually been thinking of the definition of the word "baby" recently

[conuly]

Specifically, I've been thinking that Merriam-Webster may be missing a sub-definition.

I've occasionally heard people refer to "baby lawyers", who are new and young lawyers, and sometimes I've also heard and read other similar constructions like "baby lieutenant", "baby revolutionary", "baby fascist", and the like. None are as common as "baby lawyer", though. Not as far as I've seen, anyway. Edit: People in the comments reminded me of all variants on "baby gay", which I'd heard before. I wouldn't edit to include new-to-me usages, but I just forgot this one.

And that usage doesn't really seem to fit anything at MW. I'd check the OED for their opinion but I need to re-up my library card first. Get a physical card, that's a good idea.

Comments

[movingfinger]

I think the first usage of this kind I ran across may have been "baby goth" from cupcakegoth. That would have been quite a few years ago now, probably in the context of her Charm School columns.