ˈpɛərənt n. & v. --n. 1 a
person who has begotten or
borne offspring; a
father or
mother. 2 a person who has adopted a
child. 3 a
forefather. 4 an
animal or
plant from which others are derived. 5 a
source or
origin. 6 an initiating
organization or
enterprise. --v.tr. (also absol.) be a parent
of. øparent
company a company of which
other companies are subsidiaries. parent-teacher
association a
local organization of parents
and teachers
for promoting closer relations and improving educational facilities at a school. øøparental adj. parentally adv. parenthood n. [ME f. OF f. L parens parentis f. parere
bring forth]