foundling

[ found-ling ]
See synonyms for foundling on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. an infant or small child found abandoned; a child without a known parent or guardian.

Origin of foundling

1
First recorded in 1250–1300, foundling is from the Middle English word found(e)ling.See found2, -ling1

Words that may be confused with foundling

Words Nearby foundling

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use foundling in a sentence

  • Perhaps he himself had been a foundling laid on the doorstep long ago, belonging neither to his mother nor to anyone else.

    Sinister Street, vol. 1 | Compton Mackenzie

British Dictionary definitions for foundling

foundling

/ (ˈfaʊndlɪŋ) /


noun
  1. an abandoned infant whose parents are not known

Origin of foundling

1
C13: foundeling; see find

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012