infant
    n 1: a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun
         to walk or talk; "the baby began to cry again"; "she held
         the baby in her arms"; "it sounds simple, but when you have
         your own baby it is all so different" [syn: baby, babe,
         infant]

Infant \In"fant\, n. [L. infans; pref. in- not + fari to speak:
   cf. F. enfant, whence OE. enfaunt. See Fame, and cf.
   Infante, Infanta.]
   1. A child in the first period of life, beginning at his
      birth; a young babe; sometimes, a child several years of
      age.
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            And tender cries of infants pierce the ear. --C.
                                                  Pitt.
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   2. (Law) A person who is not of full age, or who has not
      attained the age of legal capacity; a person under the age
      of twenty-one years; a minor.
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   Note: An infant under seven years of age is not penally
         responsible; between seven and fourteen years of age,
         he may be convicted of a malicious offense if malice be
         proved. He becomes of age on the day preceding his
         twenty-first birthday, previous to which time an infant
         has no capacity to contract.
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   3. Same as Infante. [Obs.] --Spenser.
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Infant \In"fant\, a.
   1. Of or pertaining to infancy, or the first period of life;
      tender; not mature; as, infant strength.
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   2. Intended for young children; as, an infant school.
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Infant \In"fant\, v. t. [Cf. F. enfanter.]
   To bear or bring forth, as a child; hence, to produce, in
   general. [Obs.]
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         This worthy motto, "No bishop, no king," is . . .
         infanted out of the same fears.          --Milton.
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INFANT, persons. One under the age of twenty-one years. Co. Litt. 171. 
     2. But he is reputed to be twenty-one years old, or of full age, the 
first instant of the last day of the twenty-first year next before the 
anniversary of his birth; because, according to the civil computation of 
time, which differs from the natural computation, the last day having 
commenced, it is considered as ended. Savig. Dr. Rom. Sec. 182. If, for 
example, a person were born at any hour of the first day of January, 1810, 
(even a few minutes before twelve o'clock of the night of that day,) he 
would be of full age at the first instant of the thirty-first of December, 
1831, although nearly forty-eight hours before he had actually attained the 
full age of twenty-one years, according to years, days, hours and minutes, 
because there is, in this case, no fraction of a day. 1 Sid. 162; S. C. 1 
Keb. 589; 1 Salk. 44; Raym. 84; 1 Bl. Com. 463, 464, note 13, by Chitty; 1 
Lilly's, Reg. 57; Com. Dig. Enfant, A; Savig. Dr. Rom. Sec.  383, 384. 
     3. A curious case occurred in England of a young lady who was born 
after the house clock had struck, while the parish clock was striking, and 
before St. Paul's had begun to strike twelve on the night of the fourth and 
fifth of January, 1805, and the question was whether she was born on the 
fourth or fifth of January. Mr. Coventry gives it as his opinion that she 
was born on the fourth, because the house clock does not regulate anything 
but domestic affairs, that the parochial clock is much better evidence, and 
that a metropolitan clock ought to be received with "implicit acquiescence." 
Cov. on Conv. Ev. 182-3. It is conceived that this can only be prima facie, 
because, if the fact were otherwise, and the parochial and metropolitan 
clocks should both have been wrong, they would undoubtedly have had no 
effect in ascertaining the age of the child. 
     4. The sex makes no difference, a woman is therefore an infant until 
she has attained her age of twenty-one years. Co. Litt. 171. Before arriving 
at full infant may do many acts. A male at fourteen is of discretion, and 
may consent to marry; and at that age he may disagree to and annul a 
marriage he may before that time have contracted he may then choose a 
guardian and, if his discretion be proved, may, at common law, make a will 
of his personal estate; and may act as executor at the age of seventeen 
years. A female at seven may be betrothed or given in marriage; at nine she 
is entitled to dower; at twelve may consent or disagree to marriage; and, at 
common law, at seventeen may act as executrix. 
     5. Considerable changes of the common law have probably taken place in 
many of the states. In Pennsylvania, to act as an executor, the party must 
be of full age. In general, an infant is not bound by his contracts, unless 
to supply him for necessaries. Selw. N. P. 137; Chit. Contr. 31; Bac. Ab. 
Infancy, &c. I 3; 9 Vin. Ab. 391; 1 Com. Contr. 150,.151; 3 Rawle's R. 351; 
8 T. R. 335; 1 Keb. 905, 913; S. C. 1 Sid. 258; 1 Lev. 168; 1 Sid. 129; 1 
Southard's R. 87. Sed vide 6 Cranch, 226; 3 Pick. 492; 1 Nott & M'Cord, 197. 
Or, unless he is empowered to enter into a contract, by some legislative 
provision; as, with the consent of his parent or guardian to put himself 
apprentice, or to enlist in the service of the United States. 4 Binn. 487; 5 
Binn. 423. 
     6. Contracts made with him, may be enforced or avoided by him on his 
coming of age. See Parties to contracts; Voidable. But to this general rule 
there is an exception; he cannot avoid contracts for necessaries, because 
these are for his benefit. See Necessaries. The privilege of avoiding a 
contract on account of infancy, is strictly personal to the infant, and no 
one can take advantage of it but himself. 3 Green, 343; 2 Brev. 438. When 
the contract has been performed, and it is such as he would be compellable 
by law to perform, it will be good and bind him. Co. Litt. 172 a. And all 
the acts of an infant, which do not touch his interest, but take effect from 
an authority which he has been trusted to execute, are binding. 3 Burr. 
1794; Fonb. Eq., b. 1, c. 2, Sec. 5, note c. 
     7. The protection which the law gives an infant is to operate as a 
shield to him, to protect him from improvident contracts, but not as a sword 
to do injury to others. An infant is therefore responsible for his torts, 
as, for slander, trespass, and the like; but he cannot be made responsible 
in an action ex delicto, where the cause arose on a contract. 3 Rawle's R. 
351; 6 Watts' R. 9; 25 Wend. 399; 3 Shep. 233; 9 N. H. Rep. 441; 10 Verm. 
71; 5 Hill, 391. But see contra, 6 Cranch, 226; 15 Mass. 359; 4 M'Cord, 387. 
     8. He is also punishable for a crime, if of sufficient discretion, or 
doli capax. 1 Russ. on Cr. 2, 3. Vide, generally, Bouv. Inst. Index, h.t.; 
Bing. on Infancy; 1 Hare & Wall. Sel. Dec. 103, 122; the various 
Abridgments and Digests, tit. Enfant, Infancy; and articles Age; Birth; 
Capax Doli; Dead born; Foetus; In ventre sa mere.