I. ˈgäd-ˌfä-thər also ˈgȯd- noun
Date: before 12th century
1. : a man who sponsors a person at baptism
2. : one having a relation to someone or something analogous to that of a male sponsor to his godchild: as
a. : one that founds, supports, or inspires
made him the godfather of a whole generation of rebels — Times Literary Supplement
b. : the leader of an organized crime syndicate
II. transitive verb
Date: 1780
: to act as godfather to