An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

1. A person between birth and puberty; a son or daughter; an offspring.
   

   2. In → graph theory, the → vertex (node) below a given vertex connected by its → edge downward. In other words, in a rooted tree, a vertex v is a child of vertex w if v immediately succeeds w on the path from the root to v. Vertex v is a child of w if and only if w is the parent of v.

Etymology (EN): M.E.; O.E. cild “fetus, infant;” akin to Goth. kilthai “womb.”

Etymology (PE): Farzand, from Mid.Pers. frazand “child;” Av. frazanti- “progeny, offspring,” from fra- “forward, along,” → pro-, + zan “to give birth;” → birth.