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single parent
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noun
a parent or guardian who brings up a child or children alone, without a partner: Being a single parent isn’t easy.
QUIZ
THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
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In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…
Origin of single parent
First recorded in 1850–60
Words nearby single parent
Other definitions for single parent (2 of 2)
single-parent
[ sing-guhl-pair-uhnt, ‐par-uhnt ]
/ ˈsɪŋ gəlˈpɛər ənt, ‐ˈpær ənt /
adjective
of or noting a family in which a parent brings up a child or children alone, without a partner: a single-parent family; a single-parent household.
Origin of single-parent
First recorded in 1965–70
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use single parent in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for single parent
single parent
noun
- a person who has a dependent child or dependent children and who is widowed, divorced, or unmarried
- (as modifier)a single-parent family
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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