father
1fa·ther
noun \ˈfä-thər\Definition of FATHER
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a : one related to another in a way suggesting that of father to child b : an old man —used as a respectful form of address
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often capitalized : a pre-Scholastic Christian writer accepted by the church as an authoritative witness to its teaching and practice —called also church father
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: a priest of the regular clergy; broadly : priest —used especially as a title
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: one of the leading men (as of a city) —usually used in plural
— fa·ther·hood \-ˌhu̇d\ noun
— fa·ther·less \-ləs\ adjective
— fa·ther·like \-ˌlīk\ adjective or adverb
Examples of FATHER
- He became a father when he was 30.
- He's the father of three small children.
- He has been like a father to me.
- He was a father to me after my own father died.
Origin of FATHER
Middle English fader, from Old English fæder; akin to Old High German fater father, Latin pater, Greek patēr
First Known Use: before 12th century
Related to FATHER
2father
verbfa·theredfa·ther·ing \ˈfäth-riŋ, ˈfä-thə-\
Definition of FATHER
transitive verb
1
a : beget b : to be the founder, producer, or author of <fathered the improvement plan> c : to accept responsibility for
2
a : to fix the paternity or origin of b : to place responsibility for the origin or cause of <collected gossip and fathered it on responsible men — J. A. Williamson>
intransitive verb
: to care for or look after someone as a father might
Examples of FATHER
- He was praised for fathering a plan to improve the city's schools.
- <Paul Revere somehow found room in his small house for the large family he had fathered.>
First Known Use of FATHER
15th century
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