1. One who begets, gives birth to, or nurtures and raises a child; a father or mother. 2. An ancestor; a progenitor. 3. An organism that produces or generates offspring. 4. A guardian; a protector. 5. A parent company. 6. A source or cause; an origin: Despair is the parent of rebellion.
1. To act as a parent to; raise and nurture: “A genitor who does not parent the child is not its parent” (Ashley Montagu). 2. To cause to come into existence; originate.
INTRANSITIVE VERB:
To act as a parent.
ETYMOLOGY:
Middle English, from Old French, from Latin parns, parent-, from past active participle of parere, to give birth. See per-1 in Appendix I.
pâr
nt, p
r
ns, parent-, from past active participle of parere, to give birth. See per
—NOUN
