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

An animated robot named Roz adapts to its new surroundings after being shipwrecked on a deserted island, and develops a parental bond with an orphaned gosling.

From BBC

Speaking with an American accent, he told the court he had left the country and later used the alias of Irish orphan Arthur Knight in order to escape threats.

From BBC

He’s been like a surrogate guardian, something Kenneth, who was orphaned at age 10, has badly needed, even if the only person he’s been willing to socialize with is Bert.

From Los Angeles Times

The rescue group said that after taking her in, they tried to connect her with another orphaned beaver so that she had a "buddy" and did not get close to humans.

From BBC