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parent

[ pair-uhnt, par- ]

/ ˈpɛər ənt, ˈpær- /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR parent ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a father or a mother.

an ancestor, precursor, or progenitor.

a source, origin, or cause.

a protector or guardian.

Biology. any organism that produces or generates another.

Physics. the first nuclide in a radioactive series.

adjective

being the original source: a parent organization.

Biology. pertaining to an organism, cell, or complex molecular structure that generates or produces another: parent cell; parent DNA.

verb (used with object)

to be or act as parent of: to parent children with both love and discipline.

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Question 1 of 10

What does “barren” mean?

a cylindrical wooden container with slightly bulging sides.

Worn down by dullness, tedious repetition.

unproductive; unfruitful

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Origin of parent

1375–1425; late Middle English (<Middle French ) <Latin parent- (stem of parēns), noun use of present participle of parere to bring forth, breed

OTHER WORDS FROM parent

par·ent·less, adjectivepar·ent·like, adjectivenon·par·ent, noun

Words nearby parent

parenchymatous goiter, parenchymatous hemorrhage, parenchymatous keratitis, parenchymatous neuritis, parens, parent, parentage, parental, parental generation, parental home, parental leave

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for parent

Tinder and OkCupid are both owned by IAC, the parent company of The Daily Beast.
My Week on Jewish Tinder|Emily Shire|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
To be a parent is to be able to offer truly unconditional love.
Dear Leelah, We Will Fight On For You: A Letter to a Dead Trans Teen|Parker Molloy|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Not even after its parent company, the Soviet Union, took a dive in 1991.
Obama’s One Hand Clap With Castro|Doug McIntyre|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At least one parent would have to be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
The Progressive Case Against Birthright Citizenship|Keli Goff|December 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Patty Hearst's parents are separated, and he broods about which parent the girl will go to before her marriage.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The cancer of the cheek in the parent becomes cancer of the bone in the child.
A System of Practical Medicine by American Authors, Vol. I|Various
Inarching or grafting by approach, in which the cion remains attached to the parent plant until union takes place.
The Nursery Book|Liberty Hyde Bailey
Their growth has required ages, and during their development many a parent stalk has ceased to exist.
A Manual of the Antiquity of Man|J. P. MacLean
She would confute the malice spoken by Koúmé, by parent and child.
The Yotsuya Kwaidan or O'Iwa Inari|James S. De Benneville
There is no indecorum in the proposal's coming from the parent of either side.
The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling|Henry Fielding

British Dictionary definitions for parent

parent

/ (ˈpɛərənt) /

noun

a father or mother

a person acting as a father or mother; guardian

rare an ancestor

a source or cause

an organism or organization that has produced one or more organisms or organizations similar to itself
(as modifier)a parent organism

physics chem

a precursor, such as a nucleus or compound, of a derived entity
(as modifier)a parent nucleus; a parent ion

Derived forms of parent

parenthood, noun

Word Origin for parent

C15: via Old French from Latin parens parent, from parere to bring forth

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

Medical definitions for parent

parent

[ pâr′ənt ]

n.

One who begets, gives birth to, or nurtures and raises a child; a father or mother.

An ancestor; a progenitor.

An organism that produces or generates offspring.

v.

To act as a parent to; to rear and nurture.

To cause to come into existence; to serve as a source for; originate.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

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