offspring

[awf-spring, of-]

noun

plural

offspring, offsprings 

1. children or young of a particular parent or progenitor.

2. a child or animal in relation to the parent or parents.

3. a descendant.

4. descendants collectively.

5. the product, result, or effect of something.

   the offspring of an inventive mind.

offspring

/ ˈɒfˌsprɪŋ /

noun

1. the immediate descendant or descendants of a person, animal, etc; progeny

2. a product, outcome, or result

Word History and Origins

Origin of offspring¹

First recorded before 950; Middle English; Old English ofspring; off, of ¹, spring (in the sense “to descend from”)

Example Sentences

Foster mothers agreed not to have their own offspring for three years to give them time to bond with their wards.

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“Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color,” Sweeney said in one ad.

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A father will regularly dismiss, talk down to or belittle his offspring.

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The decision opens the door for the offspring to apply for British citizenship.

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Those rats can start breeding after nine weeks, meaning two rats can potentially create more than 1,000 offspring in a single year.

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Related Words

• baby 
• brood 
• child 
• cub 
• daughter 
• descendant 
• generation 
• heir 
• kid 
• progeny 
• pup 
• son