First Known Use: 15th century
Dictionary
1orphan
noun or·phan \ˈȯr-fən\
: a child whose parents are dead
Full Definition of ORPHAN
1
: a child deprived by death of one or usually both parents
2
: a young animal that has lost its mother
3
: one deprived of some protection or advantage <orphans of the storm>
4
: a first line (as of a paragraph) separated from its related text and appearing at the bottom of a printed page or column
— orphan adjective
— or·phan·hood \-ˌhu̇d\ noun
See orphan defined for English-language learners
See orphan defined for kids
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Origin of ORPHAN
Middle English, from Late Latin orphanus, from Greek orphanos; akin to Old High German erbi inheritance, Latin orbus orphaned
2orphan
verb
: to cause (a child) to become an orphan
or·phanedor·phan·ing \ˈȯr-fə-niŋ, ˈȯrf-niŋ\
Full Definition of ORPHAN
transitive verb
: to cause to become an orphan
See orphan defined for English-language learners
First Known Use of ORPHAN
1814
ORPHAN Defined for Kids
1orphan
noun or·phan \ˈȯr-fən\
Definition of ORPHAN for Kids
: a child whose parents are dead
2orphan
verb
or·phanedor·phan·ing
Definition of ORPHAN for Kids
: to cause to have no parents : cause to become an orphan <She was orphaned as a baby.>
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