orphan

[ awr-fuhn ]

noun

1. a child who has lost both parents through death, or, less commonly, one parent.
2. a young animal that has been deserted by or has lost its mother.
3. a person or thing that is without protective affiliation, sponsorship, etc.:

   The committee is an orphan of the previous administration.

4. Printing.
   1. (especially in word processing) the first line of a paragraph when it appears alone at the bottom of a page.
   2. widow ( def 3b ).

adjective

1. bereft of parents.
2. of or for orphans:

   an orphan home.

3. not authorized, supported, or funded; not part of a system; isolated; abandoned:

   an orphan research project.

4. lacking a commercial sponsor, an employer, etc.:

   orphan workers.

verb (used with object)

1. to deprive of parents or a parent through death:

   He was orphaned at the age of four.

2. Informal. to deprive of commercial sponsorship, an employer, etc.:

   The recession has orphaned many experienced workers.

orphan

/ ˈɔːfən /

noun

1. 1. a child, one or (more commonly) both of whose parents are dead
   2. ( as modifier )

      an orphan child

2. printing the first line of a paragraph separated from the rest of the paragraph by occurring at the foot of a page

verb

1. tr to deprive of one or both parents

Other Words From

• orphan·hood noun
• half-orphan noun
• un·orphaned adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of orphan¹

1425–75; late Middle English (noun) < Late Latin orphanus destitute, without parents < Greek orphanós bereaved; akin to Latin orbus bereaved

Word History and Origins

Origin of orphan¹

C15: from Late Latin orphanus, from Greek orphanos; compare Latin orbus bereaved

Example Sentences

Billy knew a female otter had been found dead in the area recently, so he assumed the cub was her orphan.

From BBC

PC Huw Orphan, 32, was convicted of causing grievous bodily harm and actual bodily harm at Cardiff Crown Court.

From BBC

Orphan denied attacking Amy Burley, who also worked for Gwent Police, at their home in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, in the early hours of 8 April 2020, claiming he accidentally caught her with his leg after an argument.

From BBC

Earlier this month, Orphan was banned from joining any police force during a misconduct hearing.

From BBC

Orphan had no previous convictions, and was described as a “dedicated father”, who had carried out a lot of voluntary work during his time with Gwent Police.

From BBC