Boyhood Meaning
/ˈbɔɪˌhʊd/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
nounThe state or condition of being a boy.
nounThe childhood of a boy.
Sentence Examples
In his boyhood, Yasunari Kawabata took care of his grandfather.
His boyhood experiences taught him what it was like to be poor.
CEFR Practice Quiz
He often reminisced about his happy ____ spent fishing with his grandfather.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
He spent most of his early ____ playing in the woods near his home.
Word Origin & History
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bʰā- Proto-Germanic *bō- Proto-West Germanic *bōjō Old English *bōia Middle English boye English boy Proto-Indo-European *keyt-der. Proto-Germanic *haiduzder. Proto-West Germanic *-haiduder. Old English -hād Middle English -hede English -hood English boyhood From boy + -hood.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"And boyhood is a summer sun
Whose waning is the dreariest one —
For all we live to know is known
And all we seek to keep hath flown — […]"
— 1829, Edgar Allan Poe, “Tamerlane”, in Al Aaraaf, Tamerlane and Minor Poems:
"It is certainly my personal favourite, for it was by way of Hardwick's great Doric arch that I first sampled the roar and clatter of London streets, the trip being a boyhood reward for achieving (unexpected) success in a school examination!"
— 1951 October, R. S. McNaught, “Lines of Approach”, in Railway Magazine, page 703:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
He often reminisced about his happy ____ spent fishing with his grandfather.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
He spent most of his early ____ playing in the woods near his home.