father
A male parent, especially of a human; a male who parents a child (which he has sired, adopted, fostered, etc.).
Noun 4 meanings
A male parent, especially of a human; a male who parents a child (which he has sired, adopted, fostered, etc.).
“My father was a strong influence on me.”
A male ancestor more remote than a parent; a progenitor; especially, a first ancestor.
A term of respectful address for an elderly man.
“Come, father; you can sit here.”
A term of respectful address for a priest.
Verb 4 meanings
To be a father to; to sire.
To give rise to.
To act as a father; to support and nurture.
To provide with a father.
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English fader, from Old English fæder, from Proto-West Germanic *fader, from Proto-Germanic *fadēr, from Proto-Indo-European *ph₂tḗr, possibly from *peh₂- + *-tḗr. Doublet of ayr, faeder, athair, padre, pater, and père.
Similar and opposite words
FATHER at a glance
FATHER has 6 letters and scores 12 points in Scrabble (F 4 + A 1 + T 1 + H 4 + E 1 + R 1) and 11 in Words With Friends, before board bonuses. It ranks #521 by how often it appears in everyday English. It is valid in ENABLE, NWL2023, Collins/SOWPODS.
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