pickaninny 

A small black child, too young to be a productive picker in the cotton field.

"Look at that little pickaninny just standing there eating dirt".

pickaninny by SteveOla April 10, 2008

pickaninny 

an offensive, derogatory term for black children

pickaninny by Anonymous April 29, 2003

pickaninny 

A derogatory term that in English usage refers to black children, or a caricature of them which is widely considered racist. The word is likely derived from the Portuguese pequenino (derived from pequeno, "little").

Pickaninny refers to oft-depicted physical stereotypes of young African slave or African American children: bulging eyes, unkempt hair, red lips and wide mouth into which they stuffed large slices of watermelon.

Today, use of the term by persons of any race in English speaking countries is seen as distasteful, though at one time it was used within African American families to refer to their children in an affectionate manner. Versions of the word are still used in some pidgin dialects, including Caribbean English, where it usually means "child" or "young'un"

Pickaninny (also, piccaninny): Before becoming the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson apologized for any offense caused by an article in which he sarcastically suggested that "the Queen has come to love the Commonwealth, partly because it supplies her with regular cheering crowds of flag-waving piccaninnies."

pickaninny by PCone November 14, 2009

pickaninny 

A common, generally-accepted term used in former times to describe young black boys, who were so pictured and identified in some of the National Geographics magazines from the pre-Depression Era of the 1920's.

"A pickaninny and his daily collection of cotton from the fields of southern Alabama."

pickaninny by jimmiedavurdmeister January 2, 2009

pickaninny 

A negro youth. Often seen running around WalMart at midnight on school nights.

A song about a pickaninny:

Mammy's little ninny loves shortnin shortnin!
Mammy's little ninny loves shortnin breat!

Mammy's little ninny loves shortnin shortnin!
Mammy's little ninny loves shortnin breat!

Sweep off the flo!
And make up the bet!

Cause Mammy's little ninny loves shortnin breat!

Mammy's little ninny loves shortnin shortnin!
Mammy's little ninny loves shortnin breat!

Mammy's little ninny loves shortnin shortnin!
Mammy's little ninny loves shortnin breat!

pickaninny by Arlene T. June 1, 2007

Pickaninny 

Is the Jamaican Patois word for child.

Coo yah pickaninny.

Pickaninny by Slavie July 13, 2009

pickaninny 

A derogatory name for young black children couched in an aspect of admiration. Topsy in Uncle Tom's Cabin was described as being a pickaninny.

Oh, look at the cute little pickaninny. Wouldn't that make a picture?

pickaninny by wordlover31 July 10, 2010