Now rare or arch. Forms: 1 ʓeoʓoþhad, ʓeoʓuþhad, 3 ȝuweðehode; 7–9 youthood, youth-hood, youthhood. [OE. ʓeoʓuþhád, f. ʓeoʓuþ YOUTH + -hád -HOOD; cf. OS. juguðhêd, MHG. jugentheit. In mod.E. a new formation.]
1. = YOUTH 1, 2, 3.
971. Blickl. Hom., 59. Swa þonne ʓelice bið þære menniscan ʓecynde þæs lichoman, þonne se ʓeoʓoþ-had ærest bloweþ & fæʓerost bið.
a. 1050. Liber Scintill., lxii. (1889), 189. Se þe estelice fram ʓeoʓuðhade [L. pueritia] fet þeow his þæræfter hyne onʓyt ofermodiʓne.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 342. Of al þin elde, of childhode, of ȝuweðehode.
1623. trans. Favine’s Theat. Hon., I. vi. 49. In this age of youthhood, (commonly called Adolescency).
1637. Gillespie, Engl. Pop. Cerem., II. iii. 17. From his youthood he was most observant of Ecclesiasticall Ceremonies.
1680. in Sprat, Relat. Wicked Contriv., II. (1693), 64. It was a folly of Youth-hood.
1724. Warburton, Tracts (1789), 36. My Governess Philosophy, under whose Roof I spent my Youth-hood.
a. 1807. J. Skinner, Amusem. Leis. Hours (1809), 49. A gawsie gurk, wi’ phiz o’ yellow, In youthood’s sappy bud.
1837. Carlyle, Fr. Rev., I. VII. x. With the down of youthhood still on his chin.
1887. Smiles, Life & Lab., 143. All new ideas are young, and originate for the most part in youth-hood.
b. fig. Early stage or period: = YOUTH 2 b.
1828. D’Israeli, Chas. I., II. xii. 343. The native of a land where, in the youthhood of the Republic, a nation’s independence had broke forth.
1880. W. Watson, Prince’s Quest, 101. And night and day its crystal heart doth yearn To wed its youthhood with the sea’s old age.
2. concr. Young people collectively: = YOUTH 5.
1690. J. Mackenzie, Siege London-Derry, 48. The Youthhood by a strange impulse ran in one Body and shut the Gates.
1834. H. Miller, Scenes & Leg., xxviii. (1857), 412. The urchin who, in behalf of the outraged youthhood of the place, wore the white sheet on this interesting occasion.
