Father Definition

fäthər

fathered, fathering, fathers

noun

fathers

A male whose sperm unites with an egg, producing an embryo.

American Heritage Medicine

A stepfather.

Webster's New World

A man who has begotten a child; esp., a man as he is related to his child or children.

Webster's New World

A person regarded as a male parent; protector.

Webster's New World

A man who raises a child.

American Heritage Medicine

Synonyms:

Synonyms:
anti-Nicene father
apostolic father
Doctor of the Church
patriarch
martyr
prophet
gregory
commentator
hermit
Father of the Church
church father
author
creator
supreme-being
prototype

Antonyms:

Antonyms:
mother

pronoun

One's father.

I will only do what Father asks.

Wiktionary

One of the chief ecclesiastical authorities of the first centuries after Christ.

The Latin, Greek, or apostolic Fathers.

Wiktionary

A title given to priests.

Father Thomas was a good priest.

Wiktionary

(Christianity) God, the father of Creation.

Wiktionary

(Wicca) One of the triune gods of the Horned God in Wicca, representing a man, younger than the elderly Sage and older than the boyish Master.

Wiktionary

verb

fathered, fathering, fathers

To provide the sperm that unites with an egg to produce (an embryo, fetus, or child).

American Heritage

To look after or care for as a father does.

Webster's New World

To bring into being; found, originate, or invent.

Webster's New World

To be the father of; beget.

Webster's New World

To take the responsibility for.

Webster's New World

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

Antonyms:
mother

Other Word Forms of Father

Noun

Singular:

father

Plural:

fathers

Origin of Father

From Middle English fader, from Old English fæder, from Proto-Germanic *fadēr (compare West Frisian faar, North Frisian faaðer, Low German Fader, Dutch vader, German Vater, Danish fader), from Proto-Indo-European *ph₂tḗr (compare Irish athair, Tocharian A pācar, B pācer, Persian پدر (pedar), Lithuanian patinas 'male animal'), akin to Latin pater, akin to Ancient Greek πατήρ (patēr), akin to Armenian հայր (hayr), akin to Sankskrit पितृ (pitṛ, “father”).

From Wiktionary
Middle English fader from Old English fæder pəter- in Indo-European roots

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition