a son of your sister or brother, or a son of the sister or brother of your husband or wife
I am planning a 25th birthday party for my nephew.
nephew
noun
the son of your brother or sister
nephew
neph‧ew /ˈnefjuː, ˈnev- $ ˈnef-/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: neveu, from Latin nepos 'grandson, nephew']
the son of your brother or sister, or the son of your husband’s or wife’s brother or sister ⇨ niece, uncle, aunt
nephew
nephew [nephew nephews] [ˈnefjuː] [ˈnefjuː] [ˈnevjuː] [ˈnevjuː] noun
the son of your brother or sister; the son of your husband's or wife's brother or sister
compare niece
Word Origin:
Middle English: from Old French neveu, from Latin nepos ‘grandson, nephew’, from an Indo-European root shared by Dutch neef and German Neffe.
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition
nephew / ˈnef.juː / / ˈnev- / noun [ C ]
B1 a son of your sister or brother, or a son of the sister or brother of your husband or wife
→ Compare niece
nephew
[ne̱fjuː, ne̱v-]
nephews
N-COUNT: oft poss N
Someone's nephew is the son of their sister or brother.
I am planning a 25th birthday party for my nephew.
nephew
neph·ew /ˈnɛfju/ noun, pl -ews [count] : a son of your brother or sister - compare niece
a daughter of your brother or sister, or a daughter of your husband's or wife's brother or sister
If he's my uncle, then I'm his niece.
niece
noun
the daughter of your brother or sister Look at nephew.
niece
niece /niːs/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: Late Latin neptia 'granddaughter, niece']
the daughter of your brother or sister, or the daughter of your wife’s or husband’s brother or sister ⇨ nephew, aunt, uncle
niece
niece [niece nieces] [niːs] [niːs] noun
the daughter of your brother or sister; the daughter of your husband's or wife's brother or sister
compare nephew
Word Origin:
Middle English: from Old French, based on Latin neptis ‘granddaughter’, feminine of nepos ‘nephew, grandson’, from an Indo-European root shared by Dutch nicht, German Nichte.
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition
niece / niːs / noun [ C ]
B1 a daughter of your brother or sister, or a daughter of your husband's or wife's brother or sister
→ Compare nephew
niece
[ni͟ːs]
nieces
N-COUNT: oft poss N
Someone's niece is the daughter of their sister or brother.
...his niece from America, the daughter of his eldest sister.
niece
niece /ˈniːs/ noun, pl niec·es [count] : a daughter of your brother or sister
• If he's my uncle, then I'm his niece.
- compare nephew
a child of a person's aunt or uncle, or, more generally, a distant (= not close) relation
My brother's wife and I both had babies around the same time, so the cousins are very close in age.
cousin
noun
the child of your aunt or uncle You use the same word for both male and female cousins.
cousin
cous‧in S2 /ˈkʌzən/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: cosin, from Latin consobrinus, from com- ( ⇨ COM-) + sobrinus 'cousin on the mother's side' (from soror 'sister')]
1. the child of your ↑uncle or ↑aunt ⇨ ↑first cousin, ↑kissing cousin, SECOND COUSIN
2. something that has the same origins as something else
cousin of/to
a drug that is a chemical cousin to amphetamines
close/distant cousin
The Alaskan brown bear is a close cousin of the grizzly bear.
3. someone or something that is similar to someone or something else:
His avant-garde music, sometime cousin to jazz, had limited appeal.
cousin
cousin [cousin cousins] [ˈkʌzn] [ˈkʌzn] noun
1. (also ˌfirst ˈcousin) a child of your aunt or uncle
• She's my cousin.
• We're cousins.
see also country cousin, second cousin
2. a person who is in your wider family but who is not closely related to you
• He's a distant cousin of mine.
3. usually plural a way of describing people from another country who are similar in some way to people in your own country
• our American cousins
4. usually plural a way of describing things that are similar or related in some way
• Asian elephants are smaller than their African cousins.
See also: first cousin
Word Origin:
Middle English: from Old French cosin, from Latin consobrinus ‘mother's sister's child’, from con- ‘with’ + sobrinus ‘second cousin’ (from soror ‘sister’).
Example Bank:
• Completely out of the blue, she got a letter from her long-lost cousin in New York.
• I have a new baby cousin.
• She's my first cousin once removed.
• These pigs are close cousins of the wild hog.
• the popular idea that creativity and madness are kissing cousins
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition
cousin / ˈkʌz. ə n / noun [ C ]
A2 ( also first cousin ) a child of a person's aunt or uncle, or, more generally, a distant (= not close) relation:
My brother's wife and I both had babies around the same time, so the cousins are very close in age.
Many of our distant cousins, whom we hadn't seen for years, came to my sister's wedding.
a member of a group of people with similar origins:
We Americans owe a great deal to our European cousins.
cousin
[kʌ̱z(ə)n]
♦♦
cousins
1) N-COUNT: oft with poss Your cousin is the child of your uncle or aunt.
→ See also second cousin
My cousin Mark helped me...
We are cousins.
Syn:
first cousin
2) N-COUNT If you refer to two things or groups of people as cousins, you mean that they are equivalents or that there is a connection between them.
→ See also country cousin
Whereas West Germans drink wine, their Eastern cousins prefer Schnapps...
The average European kitchen is smaller than its American cousin.
...misanthropy and its cousin racism.
cousin
cous·in /ˈkʌzən/ noun, pl -ins [count]
1 a : a child of your uncle or aunt - called also first cousin,
- see also second cousin
b : a person who is related to you but not in a close or direct way
• Everyone came to the wedding, including a distant cousin no one had heard from in years.
- see also kissing cousin
2 : a person who is from another country but whose culture is similar to your own
• our English cousins
3 : something that is similar or related to something else
• The cricket is a cousin of the grasshopper.
• hurricanes and their cousins, typhoons
the sister of someone's father or mother, or the wife of someone's uncle or aunt
I have an aunt in Australia.
aunt
noun (also informal) auntie, aunty )
pronunciation
The word aunt sounds like plant.
the sister of your mother or father, or the wife of your uncle:
Aunt Mary
aunt
aunt S3 W3 /ɑːnt $ ænt/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: ante, from Latin amita]
the sister of your father or mother, or the wife of your father’s or mother’s brother:
Aunt Mary
aunt
aunt [aunt aunts] [ɑːnt] [ænt] noun
1. the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle
• Aunt Alice
• My aunt lives in Canada.
2. (informal) used by children, with a first name, to address a woman who is a friend of their parents
see also agony aunt
Word Origin:
Middle English: from Old French ante, from Latin amita.
Example Bank:
• Great Aunt Emily
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition
aunt / ɑːnt / / ænt / noun [ C ] ( informal auntie , aunty )
A2 the sister of someone's father or mother, or the wife of someone's uncle or aunt:
I have an aunt in Australia.
This is my Aunt Camille.
[ as form of address ] Do you want some tea, Aunt Alice?
aunt
[ɑ͟ːnt, æ̱nt]
♦♦
aunts
N-FAMILY; N-TITLE
Someone's aunt is the sister of their mother or father, or the wife of their uncle.
→ See also agony aunt
She wrote to her aunt in America...
It was a present from Aunt Vera.
aunt
aunt /ˈænt, ˈɑːnt/ noun, pl aunts [count] : the sister of your father or mother or the wife of your uncle
• He has three aunts and two uncles.
• This is my Aunt Mary.
the brother of someone's mother or father, or the husband of someone's aunt or uncle
I've got several uncles and aunts.
uncle
noun
the brother of your mother or father, or the husband of your aunt:
Uncle Paul
uncle
un‧cle S2 W3 /ˈʌŋkəl/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: Latin avunculus 'mother's brother']
1. the brother of your mother or father, or the husband of your aunt ⇨ aunt:
I went to stay with my uncle and aunt for a few days.
Uncle Philip
I was very excited about becoming an uncle (=your sister or your brother’s wife has a child).
2. used by children, in front of a first name, to address or refer to a man who is a close friend of their parents
3. say uncle American English spoken used by children to tell someone to admit they have been defeated
uncle
uncle [uncle uncles] [ˈʌŋkl] [ˈʌŋkl] noun
1. the brother of your mother or father; the husband of your aunt
• Uncle Ian
• I'm going to visit my uncle.
• I've just become an uncle (= because your brother/sister has had a baby).
2. used by children, with a first name, to address a man who is a close friend of their parents
see Bob's your uncle at Bob
Word Origin:
Middle English: from Old French oncle, from late Latin aunculus, alteration of Latin avunculus ‘maternal uncle’, diminutive of avus ‘grandfather’.
Example Bank:
• He looks so much like his late uncle.
• The boss smiled at us all like a benevolent uncle.
• the fortune left to her by her dead uncle
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition
uncle / ˈʌŋ.kl̩ / noun [ C ]
A2 the brother of someone's mother or father, or the husband of someone's aunt or uncle:
I've got several uncles and aunts.
We invited my Uncle Steve round.
[ as form of address ] Did you bring me a present, Uncle Jack?
Indian English any male adult that you know who is older than you:
John Uncle
uncle
[ʌ̱ŋk(ə)l]
♦♦
uncles
N-FAMILY; N-TITLE
Someone's uncle is the brother of their mother or father, or the husband of their aunt.
My uncle was the mayor of Memphis...
A telegram from Uncle Fred arrived...
Uncle, pa wants to see you.
uncle
un·cle /ˈʌŋkəl/ noun, pl un·cles
1 [count] : the brother of your father or mother or the husband of your aunt
• I have three uncles and two aunts.
• My Uncle David is visiting next week.
2 US informal
- used as a word that you say when you are being hurt in a fight to show that you admit being defeated and do not want to continue fighting
• He was forced to cry/say uncle. [=forced to surrender]
and Bob's your uncle
- see bob
My parents love me and my younger brother equally.
A male who has the same parents as you
My parents love me and my younger brother equally.
brother
noun
a man or boy who has the same parents as you:
My younger brother is called Mark.
Gavin and Nick are brothers.
Have you got any brothers and sisters?
brother
I. broth‧er1 S1 W1 /ˈbrʌðə $ -ər/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[Word Family: noun: ↑brother, ↑brotherhood; adjective: ↑brotherly]
[Language: Old English; Origin: brothor]
1. a male who has the same parents as you ⇨ sister:
I have two brothers, William and Mark.
elder/older/younger etc brother
My younger brother is a doctor.
little/kid brother (=younger brother)
I have to take my little brother to school.
My big brother (=older brother) has always looked after me.
my twin brother
2. spoken informal a word meaning a black man, used especially by other black men
3. a male member of a group with the same interests, religion, profession etc as you
4. (plural brothers or brethren) a male member of a religious group, especially a ↑monk:
Brother Justin
5. American English a member of a ↑fraternity (=a club of male university students)
6. brothers in arms literary soldiers who have fought together in a war
⇨ ↑Big Brother, ↑blood brother, HALF BROTHER, ↑stepbrother
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + brother
▪ an older/elder brother I have two older brothers.
▪ a big brother (=older brother - used especially by or to children) Jake was my big brother and I admired him.
▪ a younger brother Do you have any younger brothers?
▪ a little brother (also a kid brother American English) (=younger brother) My kid brother was always annoying me.
▪ a baby brother (=brother who is still a baby) Mum let me hold my new baby brother.
▪ a twin brother Luke and his twin brother Sam went everywhere together.
▪ a half-brother (=brother with only one parent the same as yours) I never really liked my half-brother.
▪ a step-brother (=the son of your stepfather or stepmother) His dad’s new wife brought him two step-brothers.
II. brother2 BrE AmE interjection especially American English
used to show you are annoyed or surprised:
Oh, brother – I really don’t want to deal with this now.
brother
brother [brother brothers brethren] noun, exclamation [ˈbrʌðə(r)] [ˈbrʌðər]
noun
IN FAMILY
1. a boy or man who has the same mother and father as another person
• We're brothers.
• He's my brother.
• an older/younger brother
• a twin brother
• Does she have any brothers and sisters?
• Edward was the youngest of the Kennedy brothers.
• He was like a brother to me (= very close).
see also half-brother, stepbrother
OTHER MEN
2. (pl. brothers or old-fashioned brethren)used for talking to or talking about other male members of an organization or other men who have the same ideas, purpose, etc. as yourself
• We must work together, brothers!
• We are all brothers in the fight against injustice.
• He was greatly respected by his brother officers.
• We must support our weaker brethren.
IN RELIGIOUS GROUP
3. (also Brother)(pl. brethren or brothers) a male member of a religious group, especially a monk
• Brother Luke
• The Brethren meet regularly for prayer.
FORM OF ADDRESS
4. (NAmE, informal) used by black people as a form of address for a black man
AT COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY
5. (in the US) a member of a fraternity (= a club for a group of male students at a college or university)
Word Origin:
Old English brōthor, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch broeder and German Bruder, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin frater.
Example Bank:
• Bill idolizes his big brother, who is a professional footballer.
• Do you have any brothers and sisters?
• He married the wife of his late brother.
• His old teacher greeted him like a long-lost brother.
• She wrote daily to her beloved brother, Leo.
• The boys are so close, they're like brothers.
exclamation (old-fashioned, especially NAmE) used to express the fact that you are annoyed or surprised
• Oh brother!
Word Origin:
Old English brōthor, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch broeder and German Bruder, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin frater.
brother
brother /ˈbrʌð.əʳ/ US /-ɚ/
noun [C]
1 a man or boy with the same parents as another person:
Do you have any brothers and sisters?
I have three brothers and a sister.
Johnny is my younger/older/big/baby/little brother.
My brother lives in Washington.
2 a man who is a member of the same group as you or who shares an interest with you or has a similar way of thinking to you:
[as form of address] "Let us unite, brothers and fight this unjust law!"
3 used as the title of a man, such as a monk, who belongs to a religious organization:
Brother Michael and Brother John were deep in conversation.
4 US INFORMAL sometimes used by a black man to address or refer to another black man
brotherly /ˈbrʌð.əl.i/ US /-ɚ.li/
adjective
showing the kindness, interest or affection that you would expect a brother to show:
Can I give you some brotherly advice?
brother
/brʌðə(r)/
(brothers)
Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
Note: The old-fashioned form 'brethren' is still sometimes used as the plural for meanings 2 and 3.
1.
Your brother is a boy or a man who has the same parents as you.
Oh, so you’re Peter’s younger brother...
Have you got any brothers and sisters?
N-COUNT: oft poss N
see also half-brother, stepbrother
2.
You can describe a man as your brother if he belongs to the same race, religion, country, profession, or trade union as you, or if he has similar ideas to you.
He told reporters he’d come to be with his Latvian brothers.
N-COUNT: usu poss N
3.
Brother is a title given to a man who belongs to a religious community such as a monastery.
...Brother Otto.
...the Christian Brothers community which owns the castle.
N-TITLE; N-COUNT; N-VOC
4.
Brothers is used in the names of some companies and shops.
...the film company Warner Brothers...
N-IN-NAMES
brother
broth·er /ˈbrʌðɚ/ noun, pl -ers [count]
1 : a boy or man who has one or both of the same parents as you
• my little/younger brother
• her big/older brother
• Her brother was adopted.
- compare brother-in-law, half brother, stepbrother
2 : a man who is from the same group or country as you
• his college fraternity brothers
• We must support our brothers and sisters fighting overseas.
3 pl broth·ers or breth·ren /ˈbrɛðrən/ : a male member of a religious group
• the brothers in a monastery
- used especially as a title
• Brother John
4 US informal : a black man - used especially by African-Americans;
5 US informal
- used when talking to a man
• Brother, do you have an extra cigarette?
• Brother, you have got to relax.
6 chiefly US informal
- used as an interjection to express surprise or annoyance
• Brother was I ever sick. [=I was very sick]
• Oh, brother!
My best friend has been like a sister to me.
A girl or woman who has the same parents as you
My best friend has been like a sister to me.
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
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.
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
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.təl.i/ US /-tɚ.li/
adjective
feeling or behaving like a sister:
I felt quite sisterly towards him, but I couldn't marry him.
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
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
He's the son of an Oxford professor.
someone’s male child
He's the son of an Oxford professor.
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.
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)
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
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
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]
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
I want a son, not a daughter.
someone’s female child
I want a son, not a daughter.
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.
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
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 - 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
© Cambridge University Press 2013
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.
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
His father was killed in the war.
PARENT a male parent
His father was killed in the war.
father
noun
a man who has a child:
Where do your mother and father live?
Look at dad and daddy.
father
I. fa‧ther1 S1 W1 /ˈfɑːðə $ -ər/ noun [countable]
[Language: Old English; Origin: fæder]
1. PARENT a male parent:
Ask your father to help you.
Andrew was very excited about becoming a father.
He’s been like a father to me.
a father of two/three/four etc (=a man with two, three etc children)
The driver, a father of four, escaped uninjured.
Steve recently became the proud father of a 7lb 12oz baby girl.
2. PRIEST Father a priest, especially in the Roman Catholic Church:
I have sinned, Father.
Father Devlin ⇒ Holy Father
3. fathers [plural] people related to you who lived a long time ago SYN ancestors:
Our fathers were exiles from their native land. ⇒ forefather
4. GOD Father a way of talking to or talking about God, used in the Christian religion:
our Heavenly Father
5. the father of something the man who was responsible for starting something:
Freud is the father of psychoanalysis.
6. from father to son if property or skill passes from father to son, children receive it or learn it from their parents:
This is a district where old crafts are handed down from father to son.
7. like father like son used to say that a boy behaves like his father, especially when this behaviour is bad
8. a bit of how’s your father British English informal the act of having sex – used humorously
⇒ city fathers, founding father
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ 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.
II. father2 verb [transitive]
1. to become the father of a child by making a woman pregnant:
Hodgkins fathered seven children.
2. formal to start an important new idea or system:
Bevan fathered the concept of the National Health Service.
father something on somebody phrasal verb British English
formal to claim that someone is responsible for something when they are not:
A collection of Irish stories was fathered on him.
father
father [father fathers fathered fathering] noun, verb [ˈfɑːðə(r)] Click to play [ˈfɑːðər] Click to play
noun
1. a male parent of a child or an animal; a person who is acting as the father to a child
• Ben's a wonderful father.
• You've been like a father to me.
• Our new boss is a father of three (= he has three children).
• He was a wonderful father to both his natural and adopted children.
• (old-fashioned) Father, I cannot lie to you.
see also godfather, grandfather, stepfather
2. fathers plural (literary) a person's ancestors (= people who are related to you who lived in the past)
• the land of our fathers
see also forefathers
3. ~ (of sth) the first man to introduce a new way of thinking about sth or of doing sth
• Henry Moore is considered to be the father of modern British sculpture.
see also founding father
4. Father used by Christians to refer to God
• Father, forgive us.
• God the Father
5. Father (abbr. Fr) the title of a priest, especially in the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church
• Father Dominic
see also Holy Father
more at old enough to be sb's father/mother at old, the wish is father to the thought at wish n.
Word Origin:
Old English fæder, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch vader and German Vater, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin pater and Greek patēr.
Thesaurus:
father noun C
• Gary's a wonderful father.
parent • • stepfather • • guardian • |informal, especially spoken dad • • daddy • |especially AmE, informal folks •
a good/bad/caring/loving father/parent/dad
take after/inherit sth from your father/parents/dad/daddy
become a/sb's father/parent/stepfather/guardian/dad
Father or dad? In spoken English dad is much more frequent. It can sound formal to say my father.
Example Bank:
• Boland, a father of two, was arrested on charges of theft.
• Elena's brother was a surrogate father to her kids after her husband died.
• He followed in his father's footsteps and became a motor mechanic.
• He followed the footsteps of his famous father into the film industry.
• He had a domineering mother and a cold, distant father.
• He has an ailing father and two younger brothers to support.
• He has just become the proud father of a baby girl.
• He is very good with children and would make a devoted father.
• He paced like an expectant father.
• He succeeded his father as Professor of Botany.
• He was a wonderful father to her.
• He was both a bad husband and a bad father.
• I always thought of you as a second father.
• I buried my father, and mourned his death.
• I lost my father when I was nine.
• Jesse is now married and father to a young son.
• Meet your new father.
• Ryan has gone looking for his long-lost father.
• She followed her father into the legal profession.
• She inherited the urge to travel from her father.
• She kept the books that had belonged to her beloved father.
• Some of his students regard him as a father figure.
• The land passes on from father to son.
• The new father took his son into his arms.
• The two boys were like their mother in character, but Louise took after her father.
• Their musician father encouraged their love of music.
• Try your best to honor your father.
• a married father of two
• the grieving father of two children lost at sea
• Ben's a wonderful father.
• Our new boss is a father of three.
• You've been like a father to me.
Idioms: from father to son ▪ like father, like son
verb
1. ~ sb to become the father of a child by making a woman pregnant
• He claims to have fathered over 20 children.
2. ~ sth to create new ideas or a new way of doing sth
Verb forms:
Word Origin:
Old English fæder, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch vader and German Vater, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin pater and Greek patēr.
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition
father / ˈfɑː.ðə r / / -ðɚ / noun [ C ] (PARENT)
A1 a male parent:
My father took me to watch the football every Saturday.
The children's father came to collect them from school.
[ as form of address ] formal or old-fashioned Please may I go, Father?
father / ˈfɑː.ðə r / / -ðɚ / noun [ C ] (IN RELIGION)
( also Father , written abbreviation Fr ) (the title of) a Christian priest, especially a Roman Catholic or Orthodox priest:
Father O'Reilly
[ as form of address ] Are you giving a sermon, Father?
( also Father ) a name for the Christian God:
God the Father
Our Father, who art in heaven...
© Cambridge University Press 2013
father
/fɑ:ðə(r)/
(fathers, fathering, fathered)
Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
1.
Your father is your male parent. You can also call someone your father if he brings you up as if he was this man.
His father was a painter...
He would be a good father to my children.
...Mr Stoneman, a father of five.
N-FAMILY
2.
When a man fathers a child, he makes a woman pregnant and their child is born.
She claims Mark fathered her child...
He fathered at least three children by the wives of other men.
VERB: V n, V n by n
3.
The man who invented or started something is sometimes referred to as the father of that thing.
...Max Dupain, regarded as the father of modern photography.
N-COUNT: N of n
4.
In some Christian churches, priests are addressed or referred to as Father.
1fa·ther /ˈfɑːðɚ/ noun, pl -thers [count]
1 : a male parent
• He became a father when he was 30.
• He's the father of three small children.
• He has been like a father to me.
• the foal's father
• He's a single father. [=a father who does not have a wife or partner]
✦The expression like father, like son means that a son is like his father in character, behavior, etc.
• “He's very stubborn.” “Well, like father, like son.” [=his father is also stubborn]
- see also birth father, grandfather, stepfather
2 : a man who is thought of as being like a father
• He was a father to me after my own father died.
3 Father : god 1
• heavenly Father
- see also our father
4 formal : a person who was in someone's family in past times : ancestor, forefather
- usually plural
• She inherited the land on which her fathers toiled.
• the faith of his fathers
5 : a man who invents or begins something - usually singular
• the father of modern science
• George Washington is the father of our country.
- see also founding father
6 old-fashioned : an older man who is one of the leaders of a city, town, etc. - usually plural
• Will the city fathers agree to it?
7 : a priest especially in the Roman Catholic Church or the Orthodox Church - used especially as a title or as a form of address
• Father Fitzgerald
• Good morning, Father.
- see also holy father
- fa·ther·hood /ˈfɑːðɚˌhʊd/ noun [noncount]
• a young man who didn't yet seem ready for fatherhood
- fa·ther·less /ˈfɑːðɚləs/ adj
• a fatherless child
