son

¹

[suhn]

noun

1. a male child or person in relation to his parents.

2. a male child or person adopted as a son; a person in the legal position of a son.

3. any male descendant.

   a son of the Aztecs.

4. a son-in-law.

5. a person related as if by ties of sonship.

6. a male person looked upon as the product or result of particular agencies, forces, influences, etc..

   a true son of the soil.

7. a familiar term of address to a man or boy from an older person, an ecclesiastic, etc.

8. the Son, the second person of the Trinity; Jesus Christ.

son-

²

1. variant of soni- before a vowel.

   sonance.

son

¹

/ sʌn /

noun

1. a male offspring; a boy or man in relation to his parents

2. a male descendant

3. (often capital) a familiar term of address for a boy or man

4. a male from a certain country, place, etc, or one closely connected with a certain environment

   a son of the circus

   a son of the manse

Son

²

/ sʌn /

noun

1. Christianity the second person of the Trinity, Jesus Christ

Other Word Forms

• sonless adjective
• sonlike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of son¹

before 900; Middle English sone, Old English sunu; cognate with Dutch zoon, German Sohn, Old Norse sunr, sonr, Gothic sunus, Lithuanian sūnùs, Sanskrit sūnus; akin to Greek huiós

Word History and Origins

Origin of son¹

Old English sunu; related to Old Norse sunr, Gothic sunus, Old High German sunu, Lithuanian sūnus, Sanskrit sūnu

Idioms and Phrases

• favorite son
• like father, like son

Example Sentences

His son, Coley, became a star in football and volleyball at Reseda in the 1980s, then the starting quarterback at Cal State Northridge and a Hall of Fame volleyball player for the Matadors.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

She braved the rain during a walk with her son about an hour earlier, and still sports a mildly damp blazer atop her black T-shirt.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

While Akhlaq died on the spot, his son was seriously injured in the attack.

Read more on BBC

In six weeks, their son Leo will have to leave his current childcare provider after he turns three years old.

Read more on BBC

Over the years information trickled to her about the sons having been in various security facilities and prisons.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• boy 
• child 
• descendant 
• kid 
• offspring