dad

   ▪ father a male parent: • My father’s a doctor. | • He’s a father of three.
   ▪ dad informal used when talking to your father, or about someone's father: • Can I borrow your car, Dad? | • Her dad retired ten years ago. | • My dad was in the army.
   ▪ daddy a name for father, which is used especially by young children or when you are talking to young children: • Where’s your daddy? | • Daddy, can I have a drink, please?
   ▪ pop American English informal (also pa old-fashioned) used when talking to your father, or about someone's father: • I helped Pop fix the gate this morning. | • Can I help, Pa? | • He is in New York with his Pop's credit card, eating all the ice cream and pizza the city has to offer.
   ▪ papa old-fashioned informal used when talking to your father, or about someone's father: • Papa had forbidden me to go. | • She saw her papa 's face change at this news.
   ▪ sb’s old man informal someone's father – used when talking about him in a way that is not very respectful: • His old man wouldn’t let him use the car.
   ▪ stepfather (also stepdad informal) a man who is married to your mother, who is not your father but often acts as your parent: • Her stepfather is really nice.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

dad

dad [dad dads] [dæd] [dæd] noun (informal)

(often used as a name) father

• That's my dad over there.

• Do you live with your mum or your dad?

• Is it OK if I borrow the car, Dad?

Word Origin:

mid 16th cent.: perhaps imitative of a young child's first syllables da, da.

Thesaurus:

dad noun C (informal, especially spoken)

• Do you live with your mum and dad?

father • • stepfather • • parent • |informal, especially spoken daddy •

a good/bad/caring/loving/devoted/proud dad/father/parent

take after/inherit sth from your dad/father/parents/daddy

become a/sb's dad/father/stepfather/parent

Dad or father? In spoken English dad is much more frequent. It can sound formal to say my father.

Example Bank:

• My old dad got really wild if you said he was working-class.

• She went on holiday with her mum and dad.

• That's my dad over there.

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

dad

dad /dæd/
noun [C] INFORMAL
a father:
It was lovely to see your mum and dad at the school concert last night.
[as form of address] Can you give me a lift back from the cinema tonight, Dad?

dad