orphan

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I have myself known many cases among the Dyaks where the mother has died, and the orphan has been adopted and brought up by some friend or relative When a child is born a fowl is waved over it as a kind of offering to the gods and spirits.

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Definitions (26)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (12)

  1. noun A child whose parents are dead.
  2. noun A child who has been deprived of parental care and has not been adopted.
  3. noun A young animal without a mother.

Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (6)

Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913 (3)

Toggle WordNet definitions WordNet (5)

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Examples (50)

 

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Words tagged orphan

it sucks to be me · strobilus · 09-f9-11-02-9d-74-e3-5b-d8-41-56-c5-63-56-88-c0 = i · illitterati · constanc · וְ�?ָהַבְתָּ, �?ֵת יְהוָה �?ֱלֹהֶיךָ, בְּכָל-לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל-נַפְשְ�?ךָ, וּבְכָל-מְ�?ֹדֶךָ. · preggo · platon · monx · rigatono · cannelono

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This word has been looked up 148 times.

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Etymologies (3)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Middle English, from Late Latin orphanus, from Greek orphanos, orphaned; see orbh- in Indo-European roots.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (2)

  1. from Old French orphane, orfene, orfine, orphe, orfe = Spanish huerfano = Portuguese orfão, orphão = Italian orfano, from Middle Latin orphanus, from Greek ὀρφανός, without parents, fatherless, bereft, deprived, destitute; later ὀρφός = Latin orbus, bereft: see orb.
  2. from orphan, adjective
 

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/ˈɔrfən/
by American Heritage

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