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

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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 on the Web

But the siblings’ angling for affection and love of their father has distinct echoes of President Trump’s adult offspring. — Katie Cooper, Los Angeles Times, "‘Succession’ on HBO captures America’s new gilded age," 9 Aug. 2019 Mei Xiang has two other surviving offspring besides Bei Bei: Tai Shan and Bao Bao. — Washington Post, "Giant panda at National Zoo may be pregnant," 7 Aug. 2019 In the decades since, the accidents and disasters that have claimed the lives of so many of their offspring show that no family — even the privileged and powerful — is impervious to misfortune, said Taraborrelli. — NBC News, "American tragedies with enduring fascination: Why the Kennedys still resonate," 3 Aug. 2019 Orangutans have the longest interbirth interval of any mammal on Earth, indicating just how vital this extended period of offspring dependence is to their survival. — Kelli Bender, PEOPLE.com, "School for Orphaned Baby Orangutans Helps the Young Primates Grow Up and Graduate to the Wild," 1 Aug. 2019 Panda diplomacy is typically a 10-year loan, costing the host nation some $1 million annually, with the proviso that any offspring remain the property of the People’s Republic. — Charlie Campbell, Time, "'I Get to Hug Them All the Time.' What It's Like to Take Care of a Pair of History-Making Panda Cubs," 31 July 2019 Her easygoing attitude may be what kept her from displaying typical bottlenose aggression toward non-offspring. — Erica Tennenhouse, National Geographic, "Dolphin mom adopts whale calf—a first," 30 July 2019 But as the patriarch’s health began to decline, all five offspring sat down for interviews to share their favorite memories of growing up with one of the richest and most influential men in the world. — Cheryl Hall, Dallas News, "Remembering Ross Perot — and the circus dog, traveling outhouse and other tales he left behind," 10 July 2019 Roaches only live 100 days and have many offspring. — Brian Resnick, Vox, "One big reason you can’t get rid of cockroaches," 3 July 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.