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   father

   /ˈfɑːðə/

   noun

   • 1. a man in relation to his child or children: "Margaret's father died at an early age" Similar male parentbirth fatherbiological fatherbegetterpatriarchpaterfamiliasinformal:daddaddypoppoppapaold boyold manadoptive fatherfoster fatherstepfatherinformal, dated:pater
   • ▪ a male animal in relation to its offspring.
   • ▪ ancestors. literary Similar ancestorforefatherforebearprogenitorpredecessorantecedentforerunnerprecursorrare:primogenitorOpposite descendant
   • ▪ an important male figure in the origin and early history of something: "he's held to be the father of abstract art" Similar originatorinitiatorfounderfounding fatherinventorcreatormakerauthorprime moverinstigatorarchitectengineerdesignerdeviserplannercontrivermastermindliterary:begetter
   • ▪ a man who provides care and protection: "the prince is widely regarded as the father of the nation"
   • ▪ the oldest member or doyen of a society or other body. Similar leadereldersenior figurepatriarchsenatorguiding lightofficial
   • ▪ (in Christian belief) the first person of the Trinity; God. Similar GodLordLord GodDeityhumorous:Him upstairsthe man upstairs
   • ▪ used as a title of respect for an old and venerable man or for something personified as such a man: "Father Thames"
   • 2. (often as a title or form of address) a priest: "pray for me, father" Similar priestpastorparsonclergymanfather confessorchurchmanman of the clothman of Godclericministerpreacherabbécuréinformal:reverendpadre
   • 3. early Christian theologians (in particular of the first five centuries) whose writings are regarded as especially authoritative.

   verb

   • 1. (of a man) cause a pregnancy resulting in the birth of (a child): "he fathered three children" Similar be the father ofsireengendergeneratebring into beingbring into the worldgive life tospawnprocreatereproducebreedliterary:beget
   • ▪ treat with the protective care associated with a father.
   • ▪ be the source or originator of: "a culture which has fathered half the popular music in the world" Similar establishinstituteoriginateinitiateput in placeinventfoundcreategenerateconceive
   • ▪ assign the paternity of a child or responsibility for a book, idea, or action to: "a collection of Irish stories was fathered on him"
   • ▪ appear as or admit that one is the father or originator of: "a singular letter from a lady, requesting I would father a novel of hers"

   Word Origin Old Englishfæder, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch vader and German Vater, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin pater and Greek patēr.

   Derivatives

   • 1. fatherlike adjective

   Scrabble Points: 12

   • F

     4

   • A

     1

   • T

     1

   • H

     4

   • E

     1

   • R

     1

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