American English

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Oxford Essential Dictionary

learn

verb (learns, learning, learnt or learned /, has learnt or has learned)

pronunciation
The word learn sounds like turn.

1 to find out something, or how to do something, by studying or by doing it often:
When did you learn to swim?
I learnt English at school.
Learn this list of words for homework (= so you can remember them).

2 to hear about something:
I was sorry to learn of your father's death.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

learn

learn S1 W1 /lɜːn $ lɜːrn/ BrE AmE verb (past tense and past participle learned or learnt /lɜːnt $ lɜːrnt/ especially British English)
[Word Family: noun: learner, learning, unlearn; verb: learn; adverb: learnedly; adjective: learned]
[Language: Old English; Origin: leornian]
1. SUBJECT/SKILL [intransitive and transitive] to gain knowledge of a subject or skill, by experience, by studying it, or by being taught ⇨ teach:
What’s the best way to learn a language?
learn (how) to do something
I learnt to drive when I was 17.
Hector spent the winter learning how to cope with his blindness.
The teacher’s task is to help the pupil learn.
learn (something) from somebody
I learned a lot from my father.
learn about
Kids can have fun and learn about music at the same time.
learn what
Youngsters must learn what is dangerous and what is not to be feared.
The student will learn from experience about the importance of planning.
► Do not say that you ‘learn someone something’ or ‘learn someone how to do something’. Use teach: I taught him how to send an email.
2. FIND OUT [intransitive and transitive] formal to find out information or news by hearing it from someone else or reading it SYN discover:
I didn’t tell her the truth. She would learn it for herself soon enough.
learn of/about
He learned about his appointment by telephone yesterday.
learn (that)
Last week I learned that I was pregnant.
She was surprised to learn that he was a lot older than she had thought.
learn whether/who/why
I waited to learn whether I’d secured a college place.
We have yet to learn who will be the new manager.
3. REMEMBER [transitive] to get to know something so well that you can easily remember it SYN memorize:
The actors hardly had time to learn their lines before filming started.
4. CHANGE YOUR BEHAVIOUR [intransitive and transitive] to gradually understand a situation and start behaving in the way that you should
learn (that)
They have to learn that they can’t just do whatever they like.
learn to do something
Young hairdressers must learn to treat the client as a person, not a head of hair.
I’ve told him a hundred times not to bully people, but he never learns.
learn from
You have to learn from your mistakes (=understand why what you did was wrong).
the lessons learned in the Gulf War
5. somebody has learned their lesson used to say that someone will not do something wrong or stupid again, because they suffered as a result:
I’ve learned my lesson; I’ve now got a burglar alarm and a guard dog.
6. learn (something) the hard way to understand a situation or develop a skill by learning from your mistakes and bad experiences
7. that’ll learn somebody! spoken used when something bad has just happened to someone as a result of their actions, especially when they ignored a warning
⇨ live and learn at ↑live¹(20)

THESAURUS
▪ learn to gain knowledge of a subject or skill, especially by being taught or trained: How long have you been learning Italian? | What age can you learn to drive in America?
▪ study to learn about a subject by reading books, going to classes etc, especially at school or university: She’s studying music at Berkeley College in California.
▪ train to learn the skills and get the experience that you need in order to do a particular job: Julie’s training to be a nurse.
▪ pick something up to learn something without much effort, by watching or listening to other people: It’s easy to pick up a language when you’re living in a country. | The rules of the game are easy – you’ll soon pick them up.
▪ get the hang of something informal to learn how to do or use something that is fairly complicated, especially with practice: It took me a while to get the hang of all the features on my new camera.
▪ revise British English, review American English to study facts again, especially on your own, in order to learn them before an examination: Jenny’s upstairs revising for her Maths exam tomorrow.
▪ master to learn something so well that you have no difficulty with it, especially a skill or a language: She gave me a book called ‘Mastering the Art of French Cooking’. | I learnt Spanish for years but I never really mastered it.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

learn

learn [learn learns learned learnt learning] [lɜːn] [lɜːrn] verb (learnt, learnt [lɜːnt] ; [lɜːrnt] ) or (learned, learned)
1. transitive, intransitive to gain knowledge or skill by studying, from experience, from being taught, etc
• ~ sth to learn a language/a musical instrument/a skill
• ~ sth from sb/sth I learned a lot from my father.
• ~ sth from doing sth You can learn a great deal just from watching other players.
• ~ (about sth) She's very keen to learn about Japanese culture.
• The book is about how children learn.
• ~ to do sth He's learning to dance.
• ~ how, what, etc… He's still learning how to dance.

• Today we learnt how to use the new software.

2. intransitive, transitive to become aware of sth by hearing about it from sb else
Syn: discover
• ~ of/about sth I learnt of her arrival from a close friend.
• ~ (that)… We were very surprised to learn (that) she had got married again.
• ~ who, what, etc… We only learned who the new teacher was a few days ago.
• ~ sth How did they react when they learned the news?

• it is learned that… It has been learned that 500 jobs are to be lost at the factory.

3. transitive ~ sth to study and repeat sth in order to be able to remember it
Syn: memorize

• We have to learn one of Hamlet's speeches for school tomorrow.

4. intransitive, transitive to gradually change your attitudes about sth so that you behave in a different way
• ~ (from sth) I'm sure she'll learn from her mistakes.
• ~ (that)… He'll just have to learn (that) he can't always have his own way.
• ~ to do sth I soon learned not to ask too many questions.
more at know/learn/find sth to your cost at cost _n., you live and learn at live¹, show sb/know/learn the ropes at rope _n.
Idioms: learn the hard way ▪ learn your lesson
Verb forms:

Word Origin:
Old English leornian ‘learn’ (in Middle English also ‘teach’), of West Germanic origin; related to German lernen, also to lore.
Thesaurus:
learn verb
1. T, I
• Did you learn German at school?
study • • do • • memorize • • pick sth up • • know • • master • • learn/know sth by heart • • get the hang of sth • |formal acquire •
learn/pick up/know sth from sb/sth
learn/memorize/pick up/know/master/get the hang of what…
learn/study/do/pick up/know/master/acquire a language
2. I, T (not usually used in the progressive tenses)
• I learned the news from a close friend.
discover • • find out (sth) • • hear •
learn/find out/hear about sth
learn/discover/find out the facts/truth/secret/identity
be surprised/shocked/delighted/interested to learn/discover/find out/hear sth
Vocabulary Building:
Learning
learn▪ He’s learning Spanish/to swim.
study▪ She studied chemistry for three years.
revise (BrE) (NAmE review) ▪ In this class we’ll revise/review what we did last week.
practise (BrE) (NAmE practice) ▪ If you practise speaking English, you’ll soon improve.
rehearse▪ We only had two weeks to rehearse the play.
Example Bank:
• Children learn very quickly.
• He was eager to learn all she could teach him.
• I was surprised to learn that he was only 23.
• I've got a lot to learn, haven't I?
• She learned from watching others.
• Some people never learn, do they?
• The children learn about art by painting.
• They soon learn that bad behaviour is a sure-fire way of getting attention.
• We first learned of the problem from her school.
• You still have a lot to learn.
• learning about art
• Did you ever learn any languages?
• Everyone learns in a slightly different way.
• He learned to ride when he was about three years old.
• He'll just have to learn (that) he can't always have his own way.
• I learned of her arrival from a close friend.
• I'll need to learn how to use the new software.
• I'm sure she'll learn from her mistakes.
• I've forgotten most of what I learned at school.
• It's a bit overwhelming at first but don't worry, you'll soon learn.
• Most of the kids here are eager to learn.
• She's still quite young and she's got a lot to learn.
• She's very interested in learning more about Japanese culture.
• We have to learn one of Hamlet's speeches for school tomorrow.
• We were very surprised to learn that she had got married again.
• You can learn a great deal just from watching the other players.

• You'll have to learn your lines by next week.

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

learn

learn /lɜːn/ US /lɝːn/
verb learned or UK ALSO learnt, learned or UK ALSO learnt
1 [I or T] to get knowledge or skill in a new subject or activity:
They learn Russian at school.
"Can you drive?" "I'm learning."
I've learned a lot about computers since I started work here.
[+ to infinitive] I'm learning to play the piano.
[+ question word + to infinitive] First you'll learn (how) to use this machine.

2 [T] to make yourself remember a piece of writing by reading it or repeating it many times:
I don't know how actors manage to learn all those lines.
We were told to learn Portia's speech by heart (= be able to say it from memory) for homework.

3 [I or T] to start to understand that you must change the way you behave:
She'll have to learn that she can't have everything she wants.
She soon learnt not to contradict him.
He's not afraid to learn from his mistakes.

4 [I or T] to be told facts or information that you did not know:
We were all shocked to learn of his death.
[+ (that)] I later learnt (that) the message had never arrived.
I only learnt about the accident later.

learned /ˈlɜːnd/ US /ˈlɝːnd/
adjective SPECIALIZED
describes behaviour which has been copied from others:
This sort of aggression is learned behaviour - people aren't born that way.

learner /ˈlɜː.nəʳ/ US /ˈlɝː.nɚ/
noun [C]
a person who is still learning something:
He's a quick learner.
MAINLY UK a learner driver

learning /ˈlɜː.nɪŋ/ US /ˈlɝː-/
noun [U]
1 the activity of obtaining knowledge:
This technique makes learning fun.
For the first month in her new job she was on a steep learning curve (= she learnt a lot quickly).

2 knowledge obtained by study:
His friends praised his generosity, wit and learning.

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

learn

[lɜ͟ː(r)n]

learns, learning, learned, learnt
(American English uses the form learned as the past tense and past participle. British English uses either learned or learnt.)
1) VERB If you learn something, you obtain knowledge or a skill through studying or training.
  [V n] Their children were going to learn English...
  [V to-inf] He is learning to play the piano.
  [V wh] ...learning how to use new computer systems...
  Experienced teachers help you learn quickly. [Also V about n]
  Derived words:
  learning N-UNCOUNT ...a bilingual approach to the learning of English.
2) VERB If you learn of something, you find out about it.
  [V of n] It was only after his death that she learned of his affair with Betty...
  [V that] It didn't come as a shock to learn that the fuel and cooling systems are the most common causes of breakdown...
  [V wh] ...the Admiral, who, on learning who I was, wanted to meet me.
  Syn:
  find out
3) VERB If people learn to behave or react in a particular way, they gradually start to behave in that way as a result of a change in attitudes.
  [V to-inf] You have to learn to face your problem...
  [V wh-to-inf] We are learning how to confront death instead of avoiding its reality.
4) VERB If you learn from an unpleasant experience, you change the way you behave so that it does not happen again or so that, if it happens again, you can deal with it better.
  [V from n] I am convinced that he has learned from his mistakes...
  [V n from n] The company failed to learn any lessons from this experience.
5) VERB If you learn something such as a poem or a role in a play, you study or repeat the words so that you can remember them.
  [V n] He learned this song as an inmate at a Texas prison.
6) → See also learned, learning
7) to learn something the hard way → see way
to learn the ropes → see rope

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary:

learn

learn /ˈlɚn/ verb learns; learned also chiefly Brit learnt /ˈlɚnt/; learn·ing
1 : to gain knowledge or skill by studying, practicing, being taught, or experiencing something

[no obj]

• People learn throughout their lives.
• He is learning quickly.
• I can't swim yet, but I'm learning.
- often + about
• We learned about the reasons for the war in our history class.
- often + from
• We all have the ability to learn from our mistakes.
• She learned from experience that when grease catches on fire, you shouldn't put water on it.

[+ obj]

• learn arithmetic
• learn a trade
• She's interested in learning French.
• We had to learn the rules of the game.
- often + about
• She's been trying to learn more about our family history.
- often to + verb
• He never learned (how) to dance/swim.
• I'm learning to play the guitar.
• He learned how not to offend people.
• You need to learn (how) to take care of your health.
2 [+ obj] : to cause (something) to be in your memory by studying it : memorize
• I'm trying to learn my lines for the play.
• We had to learn the names of the state capitals.
• learn the alphabet
3 : to hear or be told (something) : to find out (something)

[+ obj]

• She learned through/from a letter that her father had died.
• I later learned that they had never called.
• I was surprised when I learned (that) he wasn't coming.
• We finally learned the truth about what had happened.

[no obj]

- + of
• We were shocked to learn of her death. [=to find out about her death]
• She first learned of the accident on Monday.
4 : to become able to understand (something) through experience

[+ obj]

• learn the difference between right and wrong
• He quickly learned what it means to be a father.
• We learned that if we wanted a good job, we had to go to college.
• I have learned that life isn't easy.
• Someday you'll learn that money is not the most important thing in life.
• He learned the hard way that crime doesn't pay. [=he found out by being punished for his crimes]
- often followed by to + verb
• It's important to learn to respect other people.
• It's a bad situation, but we'll just have to learn to live with it. [=we will have to accept it and deal with it]

[no obj]

• Someday you'll learn.
• Even after all his health problems, he's still eating and drinking too much. Some people never learn.
live and learn
- see ¹live
- learn·able /ˈlɚnəbəl/ adj
• learnable skills

sister

sister [noun]

/ˈsɪs.tɚ/

/ˈsɪs.tər/

Example:

My best friend has been like a sister to me.

A girl or woman who has the same parents as you

Persian equivalent:

Example:

My best friend has been like a sister to me.

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Oxford Essential Dictionary

sister

noun

1 a girl or woman who has the same parents as you:
I've got two sisters and one brother.
Jane and Anne are sisters.

2 Sister (British) a nurse who has an important job in a hospital

3 Sister a female member of religious group

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

sister

sis‧ter S1 W1 /ˈsɪstə $ -ər/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[Language: Old English; Origin: sweostor]
1. a girl or woman who has the same parents as you ⇨ brother, half-sister, step-sister:
Janet and Abby are sisters.
He has two sisters and a brother.
older/big sister
My older sister is a nurse.
younger/little sister
Where’s your little sister?
She’s my twin sister.
2. sister paper/publication/company etc a newspaper etc that belongs to the same group or organization:
the Daily Post’s sister paper, the Liverpool Echo
3. (also Sister) a ↑nun:
Good morning, Sister Mary.
4. British English (also Sister) a nurse in charge of a hospital ↑ward:
the ward sister
I’m feeling a bit better today, Sister.
5. a word used by women to talk about other women and to show that they have feelings of friendship and support towards them:
We appeal to our sisters all over the world to stand by us.
6. American English spoken a way of talking to or about an African-American woman, used especially by African Americans
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ adjectives
▪ an older sister (also an elder sister especially British English) He had two older sisters, Karen and Jacqueline.
▪ a big sister (=an older sister) She misses her big sister dreadfully.
▪ a younger sister Mary showed a lot of aggressive behaviour towards her younger sister.
▪ a little/kid sister (=a younger sister) She was very fond of her little sister.
▪ a baby sister (=a sister who is still a baby) He wanted a baby sister.
▪ a twin sister He is devoted to his twin sister.
▪ a half-sister (=a sister with only one parent the same as yours) She doesn't see her half-sister very often.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

sister

sis·ter [sister sisters] [ˈsɪstə(r)] [ˈsɪstər] noun
1. a girl or woman who has the same mother and father as another person
• She's my sister.
• an older/younger sister
• (informal) a big/little/kid sister
• We're sisters.
• Do you have any brothers or sisters?
• My best friend has been like a sister to me (= very close).

2. used for talking to or about other members of a women's organization or other women who have the same ideas, purpose, etc. as yourself

• They supported their sisters in the dispute.

3. Sister (BrE) a senior female nurse who is in charge of a hospital ward

4. Sister a female member of a religious group, especially a nun
• Sister Mary

• the Sisters of Charity

5. (in the US) a member of a sorority (= a club for a group of female students at a college or university)

6. (NAmE, informal) used by black people as a form of address for a black woman

7. (usually used as an adjective) a thing that belongs to the same type or group as sth else
• our sister company in Italy
• a sister ship
Word Origin:
Old English, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch zuster and German Schwester, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin soror.
Example Bank:
• Carolyn's sorority sisters at Indiana University
• Have you got any brothers and sisters?
• I have no brothers or sisters.
• The girls are so close, they're like sisters.
• a refugee who traced his long-lost sister

• my bratty little sister

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

sister

sister (IN SAME GROUP) /ˈsɪs.təʳ/ US /-tɚ/
adjective [before noun]
belonging to a group of similar and related things, such as businesses, usually owned or operated by the same person or organization:
our sister company in Australia
the US battleship Missouri and her sister ship, the Wisconsin

sister (FEMALE) /ˈsɪs.təʳ/ US /-tɚ/
noun [C]
1 a girl or woman who has the same parents as another person:
Sophie and Emily are sisters.
Emily is Sophie's younger/little/older/big sister.

2 a girl or woman who treats you in the kind way that a sister would:
Lynn's such a good friend - she's like a sister to me.

3 a woman who shares an interest with you, especially that of improving women's rights:
[as form of address] "We must continue the fight, sisters!"

4 US OLD-FASHIONED INFORMAL used to address a woman:
OK, sister, move it!

5 UK a nurse who is in charge of a department of a hospital

6 a female member of a religious group, especially a nun

sisterhood /ˈsɪs.tə.hʊd/ US /-tɚ-/
noun [U]
1 a strong feeling of companionship and support among women who are involved in action to improve women's rights

2 the relationship between sisters:
It was sisterhood that made her care for me as she did.

sisterhood /ˈsɪs.tə.hʊd/ US /-tɚ-/
group noun [C]
a society of women living a religious life

the sisterhood group noun
women involved in action to improve women's rights

sisterly /ˈsɪs.t^əl.i/ US /-tɚ.li/
adjective
feeling or behaving like a sister:
I felt quite sisterly towards him, but I couldn't marry him.

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

sister

/sɪstə(r)/
(sisters)

Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.

1.
Your sister is a girl or woman who has the same parents as you.
His sister Sarah helped him.
...Vanessa Bell, the sister of Virginia Woolf...
I didn’t know you had a sister.
N-COUNT: oft poss N
see also half-sister, stepsister

2.
Sister is a title given to a woman who belongs to a religious community.
Sister Francesca entered the chapel.
...the Hospice of the Sisters of Charity at Lourdes.
N-COUNT; N-TITLE; N-VOC

3.
A sister is a senior female nurse who supervises part of a hospital. (BRIT)
Ask to speak to the sister on the ward...
Sister Middleton followed the coffee trolley.
N-COUNT; N-TITLE; N-VOC

4.
You can describe a woman as your sister if you feel a connection with her, for example because she belongs to the same race, religion, country, or profession.
Modern woman has been freed from many of the duties that befell her sisters in times past.
N-COUNT: usu poss N

5.
You can use sister to describe something that is of the same type or is connected in some way to another thing you have mentioned. For example, if a company has a sister company, they are connected.
...the International Monetary Fund and its sister organisation, the World Bank.
ADJ: ADJ n

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary:

¹sis·ter /ˈsɪstɚ/ noun, pl -ters
1 [count] : a girl or woman who has one or both of the same parents as you
• my little/younger sister
• his big/older sister
• She's my twin sister.
• He has two sisters.
- compare half sister, sister-in-law, stepsister
2 informal
- used when talking to a woman
• Sister, you have got to relax.
• Sister, you don't need him in your life.
3 or Sister [count] : a member of a religious community of women : nun
• The sisters live in the convent.
- often used as a title
• the Sisters of St. Joseph
• Sister Christine
- abbr. Sr.;
4 [count] : a woman who is from the same group or country as you
• her college sorority sisters
• We must support our brothers and sisters fighting overseas.
• She speaks for her Asian sisters.
5 [count] US informal : a black woman - used especially by African-Americans;
6 or Sister [count] chiefly Brit : a nurse in a hospital ward or clinic

- see also weak sister

son

son [noun]

/sʌn/

Example:

He's the son of an Oxford professor.

someone’s male child

Persian equivalent:

Example:

He's the son of an Oxford professor.

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Oxford Essential Dictionary

son

noun

pronunciation
The word son sounds just like sun.

a boy or man who is somebody's child:
They have a son and two daughters.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

son

son S1 W1 /sʌn/ BrE AmE noun
[Language: Old English; Origin: sunu]
1. [countable] someone’s male child ⇨ daughter:
Her son Sean was born in 1983.
They have three sons and a daughter.
In those days, the property went to the eldest son.
their youngest son, George
son of
the son of a poor farmer ⇨ like father like son at ↑father¹(7)
2. [singular] spoken used by an older person as a way to address a boy or young man:
What’s your name, son?
3. the Son Jesus Christ, the second member of the group from the Christian religion that also includes the Father and the Holy Spirit
4. [countable] written a man, especially a famous man, from a particular place or country:
Frank Sinatra, New Jersey’s most famous son
5. my son used by a priest to address a man or boy
⇨ favourite son at ↑favourite¹(2)

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

son

son [son sons] [sʌn] [sʌn] noun
1. countable a person's male child
• We have two sons and a daughter.
• They have three grown-up sons.
• He's the son of an Oxford professor.

• Maine & Sons, Grocers (= the name of a company on a sign)

2. singular (informal) a friendly form of address that is used by an older man to a young man or boy

• Well, son, how can I help you?

3. countable (literary) a man who belongs to a particular place or country, etc

• one of France's most famous sons

4. my son (formal) used by a priest to address a boy or man

5. the Son singular Jesus Christ as the second member of the Trinity
• the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit
see from father to sonlike father, like son at father _n., sb's favourite son at favourite _adj., the/a prodigal (son) at prodigal
Word Origin:
Old English sunu, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch zoon and German Sohn, from an Indo-European root shared by Greek huios.
Thesaurus:
son noun C
• He's the son of a teacher.
boy • • child • |informal kid • |especially BrE, informal lad • |formal offspring •
Opp: daughter
a newborn son/boy/child
sb's eldest/oldest/youngest son/boy/child/kid/lad
bring up/raise a son/boy/child/kid
Collocations:
Children
Having a baby/child
want a baby/a child/kids
start a family
conceive/be expecting/be going to have a baby/child
miss your period
become/get/ be/find out that you are pregnant
have a baby/a child/kids/a son/a daughter/twins/a family
have a normal/a difficult/an unwanted pregnancy; an easy/a difficult/a home birth
be in/go into/induce labour (especially US) labor
have/suffer/cause a miscarriage
give birth to a child/baby/daughter/son/twins
Parenting
bring up/ (especially NAmE) raise a child/family
care for/ (especially BrE) look after a baby/child/kid
change (BrE) a nappy/(NAmE) a diaper/a baby
feed/breastfeed/bottle-feed a baby
be entitled to/go on maternity/paternity leave
go back/return to work after maternity leave
need/find/get a babysitter/good quality affordable childcare
balance/combine work and childcare/child-rearing/family life
educate/teach/home-school a child/kid
punish/discipline/spoil a child/kid
adopt a baby/child/kid
offer a baby for/put a baby up for adoption
(especially BrE) foster a child/kid
be placed with/be raised by foster parents
Example Bank:
• Living alone and trying to bring up a young son is no easy task.
• The queen bore him four fine sons.
• They have three young sons.
• They welcomed me like a long-lost son.
• They've got three young sons.
• a native son of Philadelphia
• a single parent raising her son alone
• an illegitimate son of Louis XV
• his wife and unborn son
• He's the son of an Oxford professor.

• Maine & Sons, Grocers

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

son

son /sʌn/
noun [C]
1 your male child:
This is our son Raja.
We have two sons and three daughters.

2 used as an informal form of address by a man to a boy:
Come on, son, we haven't got all day.

3 LITERARY a son of somewhere a man who was born in a particular place:
that notable son of Württemberg, Martin Brecht

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

son

/sʌn/
(sons)

Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.

1.
Someone’s son is their male child.
He shared a pizza with his son Laurence...
Sam is the seven-year-old son of Eric Davies...
They have a son.
N-COUNT: oft with poss

2.
A man, especially a famous man, can be described as a son of the place he comes from. (JOURNALISM)
...New Orleans’s most famous son, Louis Armstrong.
...sons of Africa.
N-COUNT: with poss

3.
Some people use son as a form of address when they are showing kindness or affection to a boy or a man who is younger than them. (INFORMAL)
Don’t be frightened by failure, son.
N-VOC [feelings]

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary:

son /ˈsʌn/ noun, pl sons
1 [count] : a male child
• She gave birth to a son.
• They have two sons and a daughter.
• He is the son of a lawyer and a doctor.
• an adopted son
- sometimes used figuratively
• our town's own native son [=a boy/man who is from our town]
- sometimes used by an older person to address a younger man or a boy
• Slow down, son, I can't understand what you're saying.
- see also favorite son, godson, grandson, stepson
2 the Son : the second person of the Trinity in the Christian religion : Jesus Christ
• the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit
like father, like son
- see ¹father
prodigal son
- see prodigal

daughter

daughter [noun]

/ˈdɑː.t̬ɚ/

/ˈdɔː.tər/

Example:

I want a son, not a daughter.

someone’s female child

Persian equivalent:

Example:

I want a son, not a daughter.

Theme, CEFR level & Tags

Theme:

Level:

Region:

Oxford Essential Dictionary

daughter

noun

pronunciation
The word daughter sounds like water, because we don't say the letters gh in this word.

a girl or woman who is somebody's child:
They have two daughters and a son.
My oldest daughter is a doctor.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

daughter

daugh‧ter S1 W1 /ˈdɔːtə $ ˈdɒːtər/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[Language: Old English; Origin: dohtor]
someone’s female child ⇨ filial:
She’s got two daughters and one son.
our eldest daughter
daughter of
the daughter of an English king

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

daughter

daugh·ter [daughter daughters] [ˈdɔːtə(r)] [ˈdɔːtər] noun
1. a person's female child
• We have two sons and a daughter.
• They have three grown-up daughters.
• She's the daughter of an Oxford professor.

see also god-daughter, granddaughter, stepdaughter

2. (literary) a woman who belongs to a particular place or country, etc
• one of the town's most famous daughters
Word Origin:
Old English dohtor, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch dochter and German Tochter, from an Indo-European root shared by Greek thugatēr.
Thesaurus:
daughter noun C
• She gave birth to a daughter.
girl • • child • • baby • |informal kid • |formal offspring •
Opp: son
a young daughter/girl/child/baby/kid
a teenage daughter/girl/child/kid
have/give birth to/bring up/raise a daughter/girl/child/baby/kid
Collocations:
Children
Having a baby/child
want a baby/a child/kids
start a family
conceive/be expecting/be going to have a baby/child
miss your period
become/get/ be/find out that you are pregnant
have a baby/a child/kids/a son/a daughter/twins/a family
have a normal/a difficult/an unwanted pregnancy; an easy/a difficult/a home birth
be in/go into/induce labour (especially US) labor
have/suffer/cause a miscarriage
give birth to a child/baby/daughter/son/twins
Parenting
bring up/ (especially NAmE) raise a child/family
care for/ (especially BrE) look after a baby/child/kid
change (BrE) a nappy/(NAmE) a diaper/a baby
feed/breastfeed/bottle-feed a baby
be entitled to/go on maternity/paternity leave
go back/return to work after maternity leave
need/find/get a babysitter/good quality affordable childcare
balance/combine work and childcare/child-rearing/family life
educate/teach/home-school a child/kid
punish/discipline/spoil a child/kid
adopt a baby/child/kid
offer a baby for/put a baby up for adoption
(especially BrE) foster a child/kid
be placed with/be raised by foster parents
Example Bank:
• Living alone and trying to bring up a small daughter is no easy task.
• They have three young daughters.

• They've got three young daughters.

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition

daughter / ˈdɔː.tə r / / ˈdɑː.t̬ɚ / noun [ C ]

A1 your female child:

Liz and Phil have a daughter and three sons.

→ See also stepdaughter

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

daughter

/dɔ:tə(r)/
(daughters)

Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.

Someone’s daughter is their female child.
...Flora and her daughter Catherine.
...the daughter of a university professor...
I have two daughters.

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary:

daughter

daugh·ter /ˈdɑːtɚ/ noun, pl -ters [count] : a female child
• We have a daughter and two sons.
• my 20-year-old daughter
• an adopted daughter
- see also goddaughter, granddaughter, stepdaughter
- daugh·ter·ly /ˈdɑːtɚli/ adj
• daughterly love

husband

husband [noun]

/ˈhʌz.bənd/

Example:

She lost her husband to cancer a year ago.

the man that a woman is married to

Persian equivalent:

romantic and sexual partners

Example:

She lost her husband to cancer a year ago.

Theme, CEFR level & Tags

Theme:

Level:

Region:

Oxford Essential Dictionary

husband

noun
the man that a woman is married to Look at wife.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

husband

I. hus‧band¹ S1 W1 /ˈhʌzbənd/ BrE AmE noun
[Language: Old English; Origin: husbonda, from Old Norse, from hus 'house' + bondi 'someone who lives in a house']
1. [countable] the man that a woman is married to ⇨ wife:
Have you met my husband Roy?
2. ex-husband a man that a woman used to be married to
3. husband and wife a man and woman who are married to each other

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

husband

hus·band [husband husbands husbanded husbanding] noun, verb [ˈhʌzbənd] Click to play [ˈhʌzbənd]

noun (also informal hubby)
the man that a woman is married to; a married man
• This is my husband, Steve.
Word Origin:
late Old English in the senses ‘male head of a household’ and ‘manager, steward’, from Old Norse húsbóndi ‘master of a house’, from hús ‘house’ + bóndi ‘occupier and tiller of the soil’. The original sense of the verb was ‘till, cultivate’.
Thesaurus:
husband noun C
• He is her second husband.
man • • partner • |informal hubby • |informal, especially spoken, often humorous sb's other half • |formal law spouse •
Opp: wife
sb's future husband/spouse
sb's former/ex- husband/partner/spouse
have/find a husband/partner
Collocations:
Marriage and divorce
Romance
fall/be (madly/deeply/hopelessly) in love (with sb)
be/believe in/fall in love at first sight
be/find true love/the love of your life
suffer (from) (the pains/pangs of) unrequited love
have/feel/show/express great/deep/genuine affection for sb/sth
meet/marry your husband/wife/partner/fiancé/fiancée/boyfriend/girlfriend
have/go on a (blind) date
be going out with/ (especially NAmE) dating a guy/girl/boy/man/woman
move in with/live with your boyfriend/girlfriend/partner
Weddings
get/be engaged/married/divorced
arrange/plan a wedding
have a big wedding/a honeymoon/a happy marriage
have/enter into an arranged marriage
call off/cancel/postpone your wedding
invite sb to/go to/attend a wedding/a wedding ceremony/a wedding reception
conduct/perform a wedding ceremony
exchange rings/wedding vows/marriage vows
congratulate/toast/raise a glass to the happy couple
be/go on honeymoon (with your wife/husband)
celebrate your first (wedding) anniversary
Separation and divorce
be unfaithful to/ (informal) cheat on your husband/wife/partner/fiancé/fiancée/boyfriend/girlfriend
have an affair (with sb)
break off/end an engagement/a relationship
break up with/split up with/ (informal) dump your boyfriend/girlfriend
separate from/be separated from/leave/divorce your husband/wife
annul/dissolve a marriage
apply for/ask for/go through/get a divorce
get/gain/be awarded/have/lose custody of the children
pay alimony/child support (to your ex-wife/husband)
Example Bank:
• She lost her husband to cancer a year ago.
• She suddenly walked out on her husband, leaving him to bring up the children.
• That was the day she met her future husband.
• They lived together as husband and wife for over thirty years.
• He is her second husband.
• It had been a shock to find himself a husband and father.

Idiom: husband and wife

verb ~ sth (formal)
to use sth very carefully and make sure that you do not waste it
• Times are hard and we have to husband our resources.

• She waited, husbanding her strength for her next visitors.

Word Origin:

late Old English in the senses ‘male head of a household’ and ‘manager, steward’, from Old Norse húsbóndi ‘master of a house’, from hús ‘house’ + bóndi ‘occupier and tiller of the soil’. The original sense of the verb was ‘till, cultivate’.

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

husband

husband (SAVE) /ˈhʌz.bənd/
verb [T] FORMAL
to use something carefully so that you do not use all of it

husbandry /ˈhʌz.bən.dri/
noun [U] OLD USE
the careful use of money, food, supplies, etc.

husband (MAN) /ˈhʌz.bənd/
noun [C]
the man to whom a woman is married:
I've never met Fiona's husband.

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

husband

/hʌzbənd/
(husbands)

Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.

A woman’s husband is the man she is married to.
Eva married her husband Jack in 1957...

N-COUNT: oft poss N

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary:

¹hus·band /ˈhʌzbənd/ noun, pl -bands [count] : a married man : the man someone is married to
• Have you met her husband?
• They were husband and wife [=a married couple] for almost 60 years.

wife

wife [noun]

/waɪf/

Example:

This is my wife, Julie.

the woman that a man is married to

Persian equivalent:

romantic and sexual partners

Example:

This is my wife, Julie.

Theme, CEFR level & Tags

Theme:

Level:

Region:

Oxford Essential Dictionary

wife

noun (plural wives )
the woman that a man is married to

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

wife

wife S1 W1 /waɪf/ BrE AmE noun (plural wives /waɪvz/) [countable]
[Language: Old English; Origin: wif 'woman, wife']
the woman that a man is married to ⇨ husband, spouse:
Have you met my wife?
a refuge for battered wives
his second wife
ex-wife/former wife
He threatened to kill his ex-wife’s boyfriend.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

wife

wife [wife wives] [waɪf] [waɪf] noun (pl. wives [waɪvz] ; [waɪvz] )
the woman that a man is married to; a married woman
• the doctor's wife
• She's his second wife.
• an increase in the number of working wives
see also fishwife, housewife, midwife, trophy wife, see husband and wife at husband _n., an old wives' tale at old, (all) the world and his wife at world
Word Origin:
Old English wīf ‘woman’, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch wijf and German Weib.
Collocations:
Marriage and divorce
Romance
fall/be (madly/deeply/hopelessly) in love (with sb)
be/believe in/fall in love at first sight
be/find true love/the love of your life
suffer (from) (the pains/pangs of) unrequited love
have/feel/show/express great/deep/genuine affection for sb/sth
meet/marry your husband/wife/partner/fiancé/fiancée/boyfriend/girlfriend
have/go on a (blind) date
be going out with/ (especially NAmE) dating a guy/girl/boy/man/woman
move in with/live with your boyfriend/girlfriend/partner
Weddings
get/be engaged/married/divorced
arrange/plan a wedding
have a big wedding/a honeymoon/a happy marriage
have/enter into an arranged marriage
call off/cancel/postpone your wedding
invite sb to/go to/attend a wedding/a wedding ceremony/a wedding reception
conduct/perform a wedding ceremony
exchange rings/wedding vows/marriage vows
congratulate/toast/raise a glass to the happy couple
be/go on honeymoon (with your wife/husband)
celebrate your first (wedding) anniversary
Separation and divorce
be unfaithful to/ (informal) cheat on your husband/wife/partner/fiancé/fiancée/boyfriend/girlfriend
have an affair (with sb)
break off/end an engagement/a relationship
break up with/split up with/ (informal) dump your boyfriend/girlfriend
separate from/be separated from/leave/divorce your husband/wife
annul/dissolve a marriage
apply for/ask for/go through/get a divorce
get/gain/be awarded/have/lose custody of the children
pay alimony/child support (to your ex-wife/husband)
Example Bank:
• His long-suffering wife had to put up with his numerous affairs.
• His wife has just given birth to a son.
• I first met my wife at college.
• Mr Thomas is survived by his wife, Muriel.
• She's a classic trophy wife— beautiful and half his age.
• The general was accompanied by his wife.
• With a dependent wife and children, he can't afford to lose his job.
• a hostel for battered wives
• At that time there was an increase in the number of working wives.

• This is my wife, Julie.

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

wife

wife /waɪf/
noun [C] plural wives
the woman to whom a man is married; a married woman:
I met Greg's wife for the first time.
She's his third wife (= She is the third woman to whom he has been married).

wifely /ˈwaɪ.fli/
adjective OLD-FASHIONED
like a wife or relating to a wife:
wifely duties

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

wife

/waɪf/
(wives)

Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.

A man’s wife is the woman he is married to.
He married his wife Jane 37 years ago...
The woman was the wife of a film director.

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary:

wife

wife /ˈwaɪf/ noun, pl wives /ˈwaɪvz/ [count] : a married woman : the woman someone is married to
• We met him and his wife.
• They were husband and wife [=a married couple] for almost 60 years.
- compare husband; see also fishwife, housewife, trophy wife

children

/ˈtʃɪl.drən/

Example:

How many children do you have?

Persian equivalent:

Oxford Essential Dictionary

child

noun (plural children )

1 a young boy or girl:
There are 30 children in the class.

2 a daughter or son:
Have you got any children?
One of her children got married last year.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

children

chil‧dren /ˈtʃɪldrən/ BrE AmE
the plural of ↑child

child

child S1 W1 /tʃaɪld/ BrE AmE noun (plural children /ˈtʃɪldrən/) [countable]
[Language: Old English; Origin: cild]

1. YOUNG PERSON someone who is not yet an adult SYN kid:
The hotel is ideal for families with young children.
The film is not suitable for children under 12.
I was very happy as a child (=when I was a child).
a child of five/eight etc
For a child of five this was a terrifying experience.
a famous writer of children’s books
child victims of war
2. SON/DAUGHTER a son or daughter of any age:
I have five children, all happily married.
She lives with her husband, Paul, and three grown-up children.
Annie had always wanted to get married and have children.
Alex is an only child (=he has no brothers or sisters).
Our youngest child, Sam, has just started university.
eldest child especially BrE, oldest child especially American English
the decision to bring a child into the world (=have a baby)
3. SOMEBODY INFLUENCED BY AN IDEA someone who is very strongly influenced by the ideas and attitudes of a particular period of history
child of
a real child of the sixties
4. SOMEBODY WHO IS LIKE A CHILD someone who behaves like a child and is not sensible or responsible – used to show disapproval:
She’s such a child!
5. something is child’s play used to say that something is very easy to do:
I’ve cooked for 200 people before now. So, tonight is child’s play by comparison.
6. children should be seen and not heard an expression meaning that children should be quiet and not talk – used when you disapprove of the way a child is behaving
7. be with child old use to be ↑pregnant
8. be heavy/great with child old use to be nearly ready to give birth
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + child
▪ a four-year-old/ten-year-old etc child A four-year-old child should not be left on their own.
▪ a young child Young children are naturally curious about the world.
▪ a small child (=a young one) My family lived in France when I was a small child.
▪ a newborn child He was holding the newborn child in his arms.
▪ an unborn child (=a baby that is still inside its mother) Smoking can damage your unborn child.
▪ a spoilt/spoiled child (=allowed to do or have whatever he or she wants, and behaving badly) He’s behaving like a spoilt child.
▪ a gifted child (=extremely intelligent) a special school for gifted children
▪ a bright child (=intelligent) He was a bright child – always asking questions.
▪ a good/bad child Be a good child and sit down!
▪ a naughty child (=doing things that are not allowed) He's behaving like a naughty child.
▪ an easy/difficult child (=easy or difficult to deal with) Marcus was a very happy, easy child.
▪ a problem child (=very difficult to deal with) Problem children may need to be removed from the classroom.
▪ an adopted child (=legally made part of a family that he or she was not born into) I didn’t find out that I was an adopted child until years later.
▪ street children (=living on the streets because they have no homes) The organization aims to help street children in Latin America.
■ verbs
▪ bring up a child especially British English, raise a child especially American English The cost of bringing up a child has risen rapidly.
▪ a child is born Most children at born in hospital.
▪ a child grows up One in four children is growing up in poverty.
■ child + NOUN
▪ child abuse (=treating children in a very bad way, especially sexually) He was arrested on suspicion of child abuse.
▪ child development She’s an expert in child development.
▪ child labour British English, child labor American English (=the use of children as workers) The garments were made using child labour.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ child someone who is not yet an adult. You don’t usually use child to talk about babies or teenagers: Many children are scared of the dark. | He’s just a child.
▪ kid informal a child. Kid is the usual word to use in everyday spoken English: We left the kids in the car.
▪ little boy/little girl a young male or female child: I lived there when I was a little girl. | Little boys love dinosaurs.
▪ teenager someone between the ages of 13 and 19: There’s not much for teenagers to do around here.
▪ adolescent a young person who is developing into an adult – used especially when talking about the problems these people have: He changed from a cheerful child to a confused adolescent.
▪ youth especially disapproving a teenage boy – especially one who is violent and commits crimes: He was attacked by a gang of youths. | a youth court
▪ youngster a child or young person – used especially by old people: You youngsters have got your whole life ahead of you. | He’s a bright youngster with a good sense of humour.
▪ minor law someone who is not yet legally an adult: It is illegal to sell alcohol to a minor.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

child

child [child children] [tʃaɪld] [tʃaɪld] noun (pl. chil·dren [ˈtʃɪldrən] ; [ˈtʃɪldrən] )
1. a young human who is not yet an adult
• a child of three/a three-year-old child
• men, women and children
• an unborn child
• not suitable for young children
• I lived in London as a child.
• a child star

see also brainchild, latchkey child, poster child, schoolchild

2. a son or daughter of any age
• They have three grown-up children.
• a support group for adult children of alcoholics
• They can't have children.
see also godchild, grandchild, love child, only child, stepchild

compare kid

3. a person who is strongly influenced by the ideas and attitudes of a particular time or person

• a child of the 90s

4. (disapproving) an adult who behaves like a child and is not mature or responsible
Idioms: child's play ▪ with child
Word Origin:
Old English cild, of Germanic origin. The Middle English plural childer or childre became childeren or children by association with plurals ending in -en, such as brethren.
Thesaurus:
child noun
1. C
• a child of three/a three-year-old child
boy • • girl • • toddler • • baby • |informal kid • • youngster • • lad • |formal technical infant • |informal, disapproving brat • |law minor • • juvenile •
Opp: adult, Opp: grown-up
a young child/boy/girl/baby/kid/infant
a little child/boy/girl/baby/kid/brat
look after/take care of a child/baby/kid
Child or kid? Kid is much more frequent in informal and spoken American English. Child is not often used of sb older than about 12; above that age you can call them kids, teenagers, young people, girls, youths or lads.
2. C
• She has three children
son • • daughter • • boy • • girl • • baby • • kid •
a newborn child/son/daughter/boy/girl/baby
have/give birth to a child/son/daughter/boy/girl/baby/kid
bring up/raise a child/son/daughter/boy/girl/kid
Collocations:
Children
Having a baby/child
want a baby/a child/kids
start a family
conceive/be expecting/be going to have a baby/child
miss your period
become/get/ be/find out that you are pregnant
have a baby/a child/kids/a son/a daughter/twins/a family
have a normal/a difficult/an unwanted pregnancy; an easy/a difficult/a home birth
be in/go into/induce labour (especially US) labor
have/suffer/cause a miscarriage
give birth to a child/baby/daughter/son/twins
Parenting
bring up/ (especially NAmE) raise a child/family
care for/ (especially BrE) look after a baby/child/kid
change (BrE) a nappy/(NAmE) a diaper/a baby
feed/breastfeed/bottle-feed a baby
be entitled to/go on maternity/paternity leave
go back/return to work after maternity leave
need/find/get a babysitter/good quality affordable childcare
balance/combine work and childcare/child-rearing/family life
educate/teach/home-school a child/kid
punish/discipline/spoil a child/kid
adopt a baby/child/kid
offer a baby for/put a baby up for adoption
(especially BrE) foster a child/kid
be placed with/be raised by foster parents
Example Bank:
• After they divorced, he refused to pay child support.
• Children grow up so quickly!
• He had old-fashioned ideas on how to bring up children.
• He's always been a problem child.
• How many children do you have?
• It was a bit lonely being an only child.
• My father died while I was still a small child.
• She couldn't imagine the pain of losing a child at birth.
• She didn't have her first child until she was nearly forty.
• She works in a centre for delinquent children.
• Teaching is particularly difficult when a class contains both slow and bright children.
• The children were quite unruly and ran around the house as if they owned it.
• Their first child was born with a rare heart condition.
• There are a lot of street children in the poorer parts of the city.
• They are expecting a child in June.
• We had trouble conceiving our first child.
• We have three teenage children.
• We've got three teenage children.
• What a precocious child— reading Jane Austen at the age of ten!
• You can't spoil a child by giving it all the affection it wants.
• a child custody dispute between divorced parents
• a school for gifted children
• an organization that campaigns for the rights of the unborn child
• big with child
• good food for growing children
• tax concessions for families with dependent children
• the bastard child of romantic fiction and horror.
• the emotional connections which ensure healthy child development
• therapy for sexually abused children
• All the children learn to swim from an early age.
• She was a child star but never made it as an adult.
• The book is aimed at the parents of pre-school children.
• The film is not suitable for young children.
• a child of three/a three-year-old child
• He took the children to Disneyland.
• I'm an only child.

• Will you put the children to bed

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

children

children /ˈtʃɪl.drən/

plural of child

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

children

/tʃɪldrən/

Children is the plural of child.

child

/tʃaɪld/
(children)

Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.

1.
A child is a human being who is not yet an adult.
When I was a child I lived in a country village...
He’s just a child.
...a child of six...
It was only suitable for children.
N-COUNT

2.
Someone’s children are their sons and daughters of any age.
How are the children?...
The young couple decided to have a child.
N-COUNT

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary:

children

children plural of child

child

child /ˈʧajəld/ noun, pl chil·dren /ˈʧɪldrən/ [count]
1 : a young person
• the birth of a child
• She's pregnant with their first child.
• a play for both children and adults
• I went there once as a child. [=when I was a child]
- often used before another noun.
• a child prodigy
• a child actor
• child development
• child psychologists
2 : a son or daughter
• All of their children are grown now.
• an elderly couple and their adult children
3 : an adult who acts like a child : a childlike or childish person
• I'm a child when it comes to doing taxes. [=I need to be told or shown what to do]
• Men are such children sometimes.
4 : a person who has been strongly influenced by a certain place or time or by the events happening during that time
• She's a child of her time.
• a child of the Depression
children should be seen and not heard
- used to say that children should be quiet and well-behaved;
with child old-fashioned : pregnant
• She found herself with child. [=she discovered that she was pregnant]

parent

parent [noun] (MOTHER/ FATHER)

/ˈper.ənt/

/ˈpeə.rənt/

Example:

My parents have passed away

the father or mother of a person or animal

Persian equivalent:

Example:

My parents have passed away

Theme, CEFR level & Tags

Theme:

Level:

Region:

Oxford Essential Dictionary

noun
a mother or father:
Her parents live in Italy.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

parent

par‧ent S1 W1 /ˈpeərənt $ ˈper-/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[Date: 1400-1500; Language: Old French; Origin: Latin, present participle of parere 'to give birth to']
1. the father or mother of a person or animal:
Children under 14 should be accompanied by a parent.
The eggs are guarded by both parents.
Melissa’s spending the weekend at her parents’ house. ⇨ ↑birth parent, ⇨ foster parents at ↑foster²(3), ⇨ lone parent at ↑lone(2), ⇨ ↑one-parent family, ↑single parent
2. something that produces other things of the same type:
New shoots appear near the parent plant.
3. a company which owns a smaller company or organization:
Land Rover’s new parent
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + parent
▪ a single parent (also a lone parent British English) (=someone who has their children living with them, but no partner) My mum is a single parent.
▪ somebody's biological/natural parents Most children are reared by their natural parents.
▪ somebody's birth parents (=the ones who are biologically related to them) Only half the children who are adopted wish to discover their birth parents.
▪ somebody's real parents (=their biological parents) I was thrilled to have found my real parents.
▪ adoptive parents (=the people who take someone else's child into their home and legally become his or her parents) Adoptive parents often have little practical preparation for parenthood.
▪ a foster parent (=someone who has other people's children living with them) Teresa was removed from her mother's care and placed with foster parents.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

parent

par·ent [parent parents parented parenting] [ˈpeərənt] [ˈperənt] noun
1. usually plural a person's father or mother
• He's still living with his parents.
• her adoptive parents
• Sue and Ben have recently become parents.
• It can be difficult to be a good parent.

see also one-parent family, single parent, step-parent

2. an animal or a plant which produces other animals or plants

• the parent bird/tree

3. (often used as an adjective) an organization that produces and owns or controls smaller organizations of the same type
• a parent bank and its subsidiaries
• the parent company
Word Origin:
late Middle English: from Old French, from Latin parent- ‘bringing forth’, from the verb parere. The verb dates from the mid 17th cent.
Thesaurus:
parent noun C, usually pl.
• He's forty but still living with his parents.
mother • • father • • step-parent/stepmother/stepfather • • guardian • |informal, especially spoken dad • • daddy • |BrE, informal, especially spoken mum • • mummy • |AmE, informal, especially spoken mom • • mommy • • folks •
a good/bad/caring/loving/doting/devoted/proud parent/mother/father/dad/mum/mom
a stern/strict parent/mother/father/step-parent/guardian
become a/sb's parent/mother/father/step-parent/guardian/dad/mum/mom
Example Bank:
• The study showed that children with involved parents do better at school.
• The subsidiary eventually outgrew its parent company and took it over.
• They have just become the proud parents of a baby girl.
• single-parent families
• the identities of the adoptive parents
• He's still living with his parents.

• We are looking for volunteers to act as foster parents.

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

parent

parent /ˈpeə.rənt/ US /ˈper.^ənt/
noun [C]
a mother or father of a person or an animal:
I'm going to meet Richard's parents for the first time this weekend.

parentage /ˈpeə.rən.tɪdʒ/ US /ˈper.^ən.ţɪdʒ/
noun [U]
When you refer to a person's parentage, you mean their parents and/or their parent's country and social class:
The novel starts when a child of unknown parentage is left at the house of the local priest.
She is of mixed Australian and Japanese parentage.

parental /pəˈren.t^əl/ US /-ţ^əl/
adjective
connected with parents or with being a parent:
parental advice/influence
The government repeatedly stressed its support for parental choice in the selection of a child's school.

parenthood /ˈpeə.rənt.hʊd/ US /ˈper.^ənt-/
noun [U]
the state of being a parent:
The prospect of parenthood filled her with horror.

parenting /ˈpeə.rən.tɪŋ/ US /ˈp
noun [U]
the raising of children and all the responsibilities and activities that are involved in it

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

parent

/peərənt/
(parents)

Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.

1.
Your parents are your mother and father.
Children need their parents...
When you become a parent the things you once cared about seem to have less value.
N-COUNT: usu pl
see also foster parent, one-parent family, single parent

2.
An organization’s parent organization is the organization that created it and usually still controls it.
Each unit including the parent company has its own, local management.

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary:

parent

par·ent /ˈperənt/ noun, pl -ents [count]
1 a : a person who is a father or mother : a person who has a child
• My parents live in New York.
• They recently became parents. = They're new parents.
• The form must be signed by a parent or guardian of the child.
• A few of us are single parents. [=parents who live with a child or children and no husband, wife, or partner]
• my adoptive parents [=the people who adopted me]
• The organization helps people who were adopted find their birth/biological parents. [=their natural parents]
• They'd like to become foster parents. [=people who volunteer to care for a child who is not their biological child]
- compare grandparent, stepparent
b : an animal or plant that produces a young animal or plant
• The parent brings food to the chicks.
• the parent bird
• The new plant will have characteristics of both parent plants.
2 a : something out of which another thing has developed - usually used before another noun
• Latin is the parent language of several languages, including Italian, Spanish, and French.
b : a company or organization that owns and controls a smaller company or organization
• the hospital's corporate parent = the corporate parent of the hospital
- often used before another noun
• a parent bank/company/corporation/firm
- pa·ren·tal /pəˈrɛntl̩/ adj always used before a noun
• parental responsibility/consent

father

father [noun] (PARENT)

/ˈfɑː.ðɚ/

/ˈfɑː.ðər/

Example:

His father was killed in the war.

PARENT a male parent

Persian equivalent:

Example:

His father was killed in the war.

Theme, CEFR level & Tags

Theme: