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n. 1. a. A female person whose egg unites with a sperm or a male person whose sperm unites with an egg, resulting in the conception of a child or the birth of a child. b. A female person who is pregnant with or gives birth to a child except when someone else has legal rights to the child. c. A person who adopts a child. d. A person who raises a child. 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. v. par·ent·ed, par·ent·ing, par·ents v.tr. 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. v.intr. To act as a parent. [Middle English, from Old French, from Latin parēns, parent-, from past active participle of parere, to give birth; see perə-1 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] parent·hood′ n. |
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