father Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
    male parent; begetter.
    • his father was born in Atlanta
  2. noun the founder of a family
    forefather; sire.
    • keep the faith of our forefathers
  3. noun `Father' is a term of address for priests in some churches (especially the Roman Catholic Church or the Orthodox Catholic Church); `Padre' is frequently used in the military
    Padre.
  4. noun (Christianity) any of about 70 theologians in the period from the 2nd to the 7th century whose writing established and confirmed official church doctrine; in the Roman Catholic Church some were later declared saints and became Doctor of the Church; the best known Latin Church Fathers are Ambrose, Augustine, Gregory the Great, and Jerome; those who wrote in Greek include Athanasius, Basil, Gregory Nazianzen, and John Chrysostom
    Father of the Church; Church Father.
  5. noun a person who holds an important or distinguished position in some organization
    • the tennis fathers ruled in her favor
    • the city fathers endorsed the proposal
  6. noun God when considered as the first person in the Trinity
    Father-God; Fatherhood.
    • hear our prayers, Heavenly Father
  7. noun a person who founds or establishes some institution
    founding father; beginner; founder.
    • George Washington is the father of his country
  8. noun the head of an organized crime family
    don.
  9. verb make children
    engender; sire; get; mother; bring forth; beget; generate.
    • Abraham begot Isaac
    • Men often father children but don't recognize them

WordNet

Fa"ther noun
Etymology
OE. fader, AS. fæder; akin to OS. fadar, D. vader, OHG. fatar, G. vater, Icel. Fair Sw. & Dan. fader, OIr. athir, L. pater, Gr. , Skr. pitr, perh. fr. Skr. pa protect. ,. Cf. Papa, Paternal, Patriot, Potential, Pablum.
Definitions
  1. One who has begotten a child, whether son or daughter; a generator; a male parent.
    A wise son maketh a glad father. Prov. x. 1.
  2. A male ancestor more remote than a parent; a progenitor; especially, a first ancestor; a founder of a race or family; -- in the plural, fathers, ancestors.
    David slept with his fathers. 1 Kings ii. 10.
    Abraham, who is the father of us all. Rom. iv. 16.
  3. One who performs the offices of a parent by maintenance, affetionate care, counsel, or protection.
    I was a father to the poor. Job xxix. 16.
    He hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house. Gen. xiv. 8.
  4. A respectful mode of address to an old man.
    And Joash the king og Israel came down unto him [Elisha], . . . and said, O my father, my father! 2 Kings xiii. 14.
  5. A senator of ancient Rome.
  6. A dignitary of the church, a superior of a convent, a confessor (called also father confessor), or a priest; also, the eldest member of a profession, or of a legislative assembly, etc.
    Bless you, good father friar ! Shak.
  7. One of the chief esslesiastical authorities of the first centuries after Christ; -- often spoken of collectively as the Fathers; as, the Latin, Greek, or apostolic Fathers.
  8. One who, or that which, gives origin; an originator; a producer, author, or contriver; the first to practice any art, profession, or occupation; a distinguished example or teacher.
    The father of all such as handle the harp and organ. Gen. iv. 21.
    Might be the father, Harry, to that thought. Shak.
    The father of good news. Shak.
  9. The Supreme Being and Creator; God; in theology, the first person in the Trinity.
    Our Father, which art in heaven. Matt. vi. 9.
    Now had the almighty Father from above . . . Bent down his eye. Milton.
Fa"ther transitive verb
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Fathered ; present participle & verbal noun Fathering
Definitions
  1. To make one's self the father of; to beget.
    Cowards father cowards, and base things sire base. Shak.
  2. To take as one's own child; to adopt; hence, to assume as one's own work; to acknowledge one's self author of or responsible for (a statement, policy, etc.).
    Men of wit Often fathered what he writ. Swift.
  3. To provide with a father. R.
    Think you I am no stronger than my sex, Being so fathered and so husbanded ? Shak.

Webster 1913