Definition of offspring
offspring
alsooffsprings
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 Barzunb : offshoot 1a
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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 of offspring from the Web
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Mira Dedhia, trying to become the first offspring of a past competitor to win, finished third.
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In a single season, one mating pair can produce 2 million offspring.
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Competitive growers seek out offspring of the champions, but be aware seeds are expensive - a single seed of a champion has been auctioned for as much as $1,600.
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Previous work to fight insect pests by stopping reproduction has used radiation to sterilize males, which are released in large numbers so wild females breed with them but produce no offspring.
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Previous work to fight insect pests by stopping reproduction has used radiation to sterilize males, which are released in large numbers so wild females breed with them but produce no offspring.
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So, over time, the faster antelope have more young, the fastest of them have more offspring, and antelope end up very speedy.
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Residents of Humboldt County are outraged at the shooting death of a beloved zebra who was a familiar sight along with his mate and their offspring.
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If WALL-E and EVE reproduced, would their offspring go off to other planets, find plants, and then crush them into blocks?
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.
Origin and Etymology of offspring
Middle English ofspring, from Old English, from of off + springan to spring
First Known Use: before 12th century
Other Biology Terms
OFFSPRING Defined for English Language Learners
offspring
playDefinition of offspring for English Language Learners
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: a person's child
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: the young of an animal or plant
OFFSPRING Defined for Kids
offspring
playDefinition of offspring for Students
offspring
alsooffsprings
: the young of a person, animal, or plant
Medical Dictionary
Learn More about offspring
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See words that rhyme with offspring Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for offspring Spanish Central: Translation of offspring Nglish: Translation of offspring for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of offspring for Arabic speakers
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