stepchild

[ step-chahyld ]
/ ˈstɛpˌtʃaɪld /

noun, plural step·child·ren.

a child of one's spouse by a previous marriage.
any person, organization, affiliate, project, etc., that is not properly treated, supported, or appreciated: This agency is the stepchild when appropriations are handed out.

QUIZZES

DO YOU KNOW THIS VOCABULARY FROM "THE HANDMAID'S TALE"?

"The Handmaid's Tale" was required reading for many of us in school. Everyone else has probably watched the very popular and addictive TV show. Do you remember this vocabulary from the book, and do you know what these terms mean?
Question 1 of 10
decorum
the act of or need for making up one's mind.
dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.
a company of singers, especially an organized group employed in church service.
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Origin of stepchild

before 1000; Middle English; Old English stēopcild. See step-, child

Words nearby stepchild

step-parent, step-up, stepanakert, stepbrother, stepchair, stepchild, stepdame, stepdance, stepdaughter, stepfamily, stepfather
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for stepchild

British Dictionary definitions for stepchild

stepchild
/ (ˈstɛpˌtʃaɪld) /

noun plural -children

a stepson or stepdaughter
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