(Scotland, and parts of Northern England) A child or baby.

plural of bairn

(Scotland, law) legitim

(Tyneside) Alternative spelling of shy bairns get nowt

(Tyneside) If you're too shy, or don't ask, you will not get what you want.

(Scotland and Northern England, rare) Like a bairn; childlike.

(Scotland, rare) Bairnlike; childish.

(UK dialectal, Northern England, Scotland) Having the manners of a child; childish; silly.

(chiefly Scotland) The quality, condition, or state of a bairn (child); childhood

superlative form of bairnly: most bairnly