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View synonyms for

parent

[ pair-uhnt, par- ]

noun

  1. a father or a mother.
  2. an ancestor, precursor, or progenitor.
  3. a source, origin, or cause.
  4. a protector or guardian.
  5. Biology. any organism that produces or generates another.
  6. Physics. the first nuclide in a radioactive series.


adjective

  1. being the original source:

    a parent organization.

  2. Biology. pertaining to an organism, cell, or complex molecular structure that generates or produces another:

    parent cell;

    parent DNA.

verb (used with object)

  1. to be or act as parent of:

    to parent children with both love and discipline.

parent

/ ˈɛəəԳ /

noun

  1. a father or mother
  2. a person acting as a father or mother; guardian
  3. rare.
    an ancestor
  4. a source or cause
    1. an organism or organization that has produced one or more organisms or organizations similar to itself
    2. ( as modifier )

      a parent organism

  5. physics chem
    1. a precursor, such as a nucleus or compound, of a derived entity
    2. ( as modifier )

      a parent ion

      a parent nucleus

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • ˈ貹ԳٳǴǻ, noun
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Other Word Forms

  • 貹IJԳ· adjective
  • 貹IJԳ· adjective
  • ԴDz·貹IJԳ noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of parent1

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin parent-, stem of 貹ŧԲ, noun use of present participle of parere “to bring forth, breed”
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Word History and Origins

Origin of parent1

C15: via Old French from Latin parens parent, from parere to bring forth
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

"Everything is on the table, our food system, our water, our air, different ways of parenting, all the kind of changes that may have triggered this epidemic," Kennedy later told Fox News.

From

In a statement at the time, Disney said it recognized “many parents would prefer to discuss certain subjects with their children on their own terms and timeline.”

From

With no parent or legal custodian, unaccompanied minors are transferred to ORR within 72 hours.

From

The investigation included surveillance, court-approved GPS tracking and search warrants at Castillo’s Huntington Park apartment and her parents’ home in South Gate.

From

Yes, Anthony's parents and their friends are defending him, but that's typical in criminal cases and part of a larger right of the accused to defend himself.

From

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parensparentage