— parentless , adj. — parentlike , adj.
/pair"euhnt, par"-/ , n.
1. a father or a mother.
2. an ancestor, precursor, or progenitor.
3. a source, origin, or cause.
4. a protector or guardian.
5. Biol. any organism that produces or generates another.
6. Physics. the first nuclide in a radioactive series.
adj.
7. being the original source: a parent organization.
8. Biol. pertaining to an organism, cell, or complex molecular structure that generates or produces another: parent cell; parent DNA.
v.t.
9. to be or act as parent of: to parent children with both love and discipline.
[ 1375-1425; late ME ( parent- (s. of parens ), n. use of prp. of parere to bring forth, breed ]