daughter

noun

daugh·​ter ˈdȯ-tər 

ˈdä-

plural daughters

1

a

: a female offspring especially of human parents

b

: a female adopted child

c

: a human female descendant

2

: something considered as a daughter

the United States is a daughter of Great Britain

3

chemistry : an atomic species (see species entry 1 sense 1e) that is the product of the radioactive decay (see decay entry 2 sense 5a) of a given element

radon, the daughter of radium

daughterhood

ˈdȯ-tər-ˌhu̇d 

ˈdä-

noun

daughterless

ˈdȯ-tər-ləs 

ˈdä-

adjective

Examples of daughter in a Sentence

We have a daughter and two sons.

Recent Examples on the Web

The woman’s daughter showed investigators video footage showing Robinson rifling through the woman’s drawers, selecting items and hiding them on her body. —Kairi Lowery, Miami Herald, 5 June 2026

The latter charge was related to his young daughter, who was in the Herndon, Virginia, home at the time of the murders. —Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 5 June 2026

Introduced in the 1960s and known as the national chocolate of the day, Alenka was named for the daughter of the first female in space Valentina Tereshkova. —Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 4 June 2026

The Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office released new details in the murder-suicide of a mother, father, and their two daughters found inside a Doral home on Tuesday night. —Ana Maria Soler, CBS News, 4 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, doughter, from Old English dohtor; akin to Old High German tohter daughter, Greek thygatēr

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing daughter

• daughter-in-law
• prodigal son/daughter

Rhymes for daughter

• auteur
• blotter
• cotter
• hotter
• mater
• otter
• plotter
• rotter
• slaughter
• spotter
• squatter
• totter

Kids Definition

daughter

1 of 2 noun

daugh·​ter ˈdȯt-ər 

1

a

: a female offspring especially of parents that are human beings

b

: a female adopted child

2

: something considered as a daughter

3

: a form of an element that is the product of the radioactive decay of another element

daughterly

-lē

adjective

daughter

2 of 2 adjective

1

: having the characteristics or relationship of a daughter

daughter cities

2

: being first generation offspring

daughter cells

Medical Definition

daughter

1 of 2 noun

daugh·​ter ˈdȯt-ər 

1

a

: a human female having the relation of child to a parent

b

: a female offspring of an animal

2

: an atomic species that is the product of the radioactive decay of a given element

radon is the daughter of radium

daughter

2 of 2 adjective

1

: having the characteristics or relationship of a daughter

2

: belonging to the first generation of offspring, organelles, or molecules produced by reproduction, division, or replication

a daughter cell

daughter chromosomes