babe in arms

noun

"babe-in-arms" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“babe in arms” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
12
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An infant.

Corpus desk

Index EN-babe-in-arms · babe in arms · English

babe in arms · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 12 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "B" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for babe in arms
PropertyValue
Headwordbabe in arms
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters12
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “babe in arms” in English

babe in armsfalls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

babe in arms is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "An infant.".

Zero misspellings are on record for babe in arms in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English [Term?]. The correct English form is babe in arms, spelled B-A-B-E- -I-N- -A-R-M-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    An infant.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how babe in arms appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. He was still a babe in arms when his father died overseas.

Etymology

From Middle English [Term?].

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "babe in arms"?
"babe in arms" is spelled B-A-B-E- -I-N- -A-R-M-S.
What does "babe in arms" mean?
As a noun, "babe in arms" means: An infant.
What is the origin of the word "babe in arms"?
From Middle English [Term?]. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list