offspring

[ awf-spring, of- ]

noun

, plural off·spring, off·springs.

1. children or young of a particular parent or progenitor.
2. a child or animal in relation to the parent or parents.
3. a descendant.
4. descendants collectively.
5. the product, result, or effect of something:

   the offspring of an inventive mind.

offspring

/ ˈɒfˌsprɪŋ /

noun

1. the immediate descendant or descendants of a person, animal, etc; progeny
2. a product, outcome, or result

Word History and Origins

Origin of offspring¹

First recorded before 950; Middle English; Old English ofspring; off, of ¹, spring (in the sense “to descend from”)

Example Sentences

In comparison with other drugs available, the authors found very little data suggesting that the drug lamotrigine in pregnancy increases the risk of neurodevelopmental issues in offspring.

From Science Daily

The idea of maturing oocytes in the ovary to produce offspring has been implemented in various ways.

From Science Daily

The bird lays just one egg at a time and spends the next two years caring for its offspring.

From BBC

Although less well-studied, there is also evidence a father's diet, health, sperm quantity and quality can have similar health impacts on their offspring.

From Salon

A perceived threat prompts humans to tend to offspring and create social-emotional bonds for protection and comfort.

From Salon

Related Words

• baby
• brood
• child
• cub
• daughter
• descendant
• generation
• heir
• kid
• progeny
• pup
• son