offspring

noun

off·spring | \ ˈȯf-ˌspriŋ

plural offspring also offsprings

Definition of offspring

1a : the product of the reproductive processes of an animal or plant : young, progeny The disease can be transmitted from parent to offspring.

b : child a mother of numerous offspring

2a : product, result scholarly manuscripts—the labored offsprings of PhDs— Donna Martin the substitution of the typewriter and its offspring for the author's own hand— Jacques Barzun

b : offshoot sense 1a

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about offspring

Keep scrolling for more

Examples of offspring in a Sentence

The disease can be transmitted from parent to offspring. The show is about two couples and the adventures of their rebellious offspring. The colt is the offspring of two racing champions.

Recent Examples on the Web

Peculiar hybrids were created: ligers (male lion-female tiger), tigons (male tiger-female lion), tiligers (male tiger-female liger) and, in 2013, the nation's first liligers, the offspring of a male lion and a female liger. — oregonlive.com, "The trouble with tigers in America," 13 July 2019 Nearly every kid on our block was the offspring of an auto worker and played sports year-round. — Glenn Forbes Bunting, latimes.com, "Balls, strikes and beers: a father-son umpiring crew saw 4 gritty stars rise in Detroit sandlots," 10 July 2019 The offspring of the massive summer festival at Commodore Barry Park in Brooklyn, the Carnival of Consciousness is a more intimate celebration of black music, art, and culture. — Shauna Stuart | Sstuart@al.com, al.com, "Brittany Howard joins AFROPUNK Atlanta lineup," 27 June 2019 So the question on the researchers' minds was whether the offspring of monarchs raised in captivity by suppliers would display the same behaviors. — John Timmer, Ars Technica, "Declining monarch-butterfly populations may be hard to restore," 25 June 2019 The offspring of famous people are a New York staple. — Willing Davidson, The New Yorker, "Emma Cline on the Movie Business," 24 June 2019 Many will have returned with happy memories, selling the idea of foreign study to their siblings or offspring. — The Economist, "Expanding horizonsWhy more British students are choosing foreign universities," 15 Feb. 2018 The offspring themselves would also have to be fertile - something that isn't always the case with hybrids. — Jason Bittel, Anchorage Daily News, "The ‘narluga’ is a strange hybrid. But it’s far from alone.," 28 June 2019 Males that allow females to take food right out of their mouths are more likely to sire offspring with their dining companions. — Karen Hopkin, Scientific American, "Male Bats Up Mating Odds With Mouth Morsels," 27 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'offspring.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.