I. ˈper-ənt noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin parent-, parens; akin to Latin parere to give birth to
Date: 15th century
1.
a. : one that begets or brings forth offspring
b. : a person who brings up and cares for another
2.
a. : an animal or plant that is regarded in relation to its offspring
b. : the material or source from which something is derived
c. : a group from which another arises and to which it usually remains subsidiary
a parent company
• parent adjective
• pa·ren·tal pə-ˈren-t ə l adjective
• pa·ren·tal·ly -t ə l-ē adverb
• par·ent·less ˈper-ənt-ləs adjective
II. verb
Date: 1663
transitive verb
: to be or act as the parent of : originate , produce
intransitive verb
: to be or act as a parent