any male ancestor, esp. the founder of a race, family, or line; progenitor.
4.
a man who exercises paternal care over other persons; paternal protector or provider: a father to the poor.
5.
a person who has originated or established something: the father of modern psychology; the founding fathers.
6.
a precursor, prototype, or early form: The horseless carriage was the father of the modern automobile.
7.
one of the leading men in a city, town, etc.: a scandal involving several of the city fathers.
8.
Chiefly British. the oldest member of a society, profession, etc. Compare dean1(def. 3).
9.
a priest.
10.
(initial capital letter) Theology. the Supreme Being and Creator; God.
11.
a title of respect for an elderly man.
12.
the Father, Theology. the first person of the Trinity.
13.
Also called church father.Church History. any of the chief early Christian writers, whose works are the main sources for the history, doctrines, and observances of the church in the early ages.
14.
Ecclesiastical.
a.
(often initial capital letter) a title of reverence, as for church dignitaries, officers of monasteries, monks, confessors, and esp. priests.
O.E. fæder, from P.Gmc. *fader (cf. O.N. faðir, Ger. vater), from PIE *p@ter (cf. Skt. pitar-, Gk. pater, L. pater, O.Pers. pita, O.Ir. athir "father"), presumably from baby-speak sound like pa. The classic example of Grimm's Law, where PIE "p-" becomes Gmc. "f-." Spelling with -th- (16c.) reflects widespread phonetic shift in M.E. that turned -der to -ther in many words; spelling caught up to pronunciation in 1500s (cf. burden, murder). Fatherland (1623) is usually a loan-transl. of Ger. Vaterland, itself a loan-transl. of L. patria (terra), lit. "father's land." Father's Day dates back to 1910 in Spokane, Wash., but was not widespread until 1943, in imitation of Mother's Day.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father); "his father was born in Atlanta" [ant: female parent]
2.
the founder of a family; "keep the faith of our forefathers" [syn: forefather]
3.
'Father' is a term of address for priests in some churches (especially the Roman Catholic Church or the Orthodox Catholic Church); 'Padre' is frequently used in the military
4.
(Christianity) any of about 70 theologians in the period from the 2nd to the 7th century whose writing established and confirmed official church doctrine; in the Roman Catholic Church some were later declared saints and became Doctor of the Church; the best known Latin Church Fathers are Ambrose, Augustine, Gregory the Great, and Jerome; those who wrote in Greek include Athanasius, Basil, Gregory Nazianzen, and John Chrysostom [syn: Church Father]
5.
a person who holds an important or distinguished position in some organization; "the tennis fathers ruled in her favor"; "the city fathers endorsed the proposal"
6.
God when considered as the first person in the Trinity; "hear our prayers, Heavenly Father"
7.
a person who founds or establishes some institution; "George Washington is the father of his country" [syn: founder]
Fa"ther\, n. [OE. fader, AS. f[ae]der; akin to OS. fadar, D. vader, OHG. fatar, G. vater, Icel. Fa?ir Sw. & Dan. fader, OIr. athir, L. pater, Gr. ?????, Skr. pitr, perh. fr. Skr. p[=a] protect. ???,???. Cf. Papa, Paternal, Patriot, Potential, Pablum.]1. One who has begotten a child, whether son or daughter; a generator; a male parent. A wise son maketh a glad father. --Prov. x. 1. 2. A male ancestor more remote than a parent; a progenitor; especially, a first ancestor; a founder of a race or family; -- in the plural, fathers, ancestors. David slept with his fathers. --1 Kings ii. 10. Abraham, who is the father of us all. --Rom. iv. 16. 3. One who performs the offices of a parent by maintenance, affetionate care, counsel, or protection. I was a father to the poor. --Job xxix. 16. He hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house. --Gen. xiv. 8. 4. A respectful mode of address to an old man. And Joash the king og Israel came down unto him [Elisha], . . . and said, O my father, my father! --2 Kings xiii. 14. 5. A senator of ancient Rome. 6. A dignitary of the church, a superior of a convent, a confessor (called also father confessor), or a priest; also, the eldest member of a profession, or of a legislative assembly, etc. Bless you, good father friar ! --Shak. 7. One of the chief esslesiastical authorities of the first centuries after Christ; -- often spoken of collectively as the Fathers; as, the Latin, Greek, or apostolic Fathers. 8. One who, or that which, gives origin; an originator; a producer, author, or contriver; the first to practice any art, profession, or occupation; a distinguished example or teacher. The father of all such as handle the harp and organ. --Gen. iv. 21. Might be the father, Harry, to that thought. --Shak. The father of good news. --Shak. 9. The Supreme Being and Creator; God; in theology, the first person in the Trinity. Our Father, which art in heaven. --Matt. vi. 9. Now had the almighty Father from above . . . Bent down his eye. --Milton. Adoptive father, one who adopts the child of another, treating it as his own. Apostolic father, Conscript fathers, etc. See under Apostolic, Conscript, etc. Father in God, a title given to bishops. Father of lies, the Devil. Father of the bar, the oldest practitioner at the bar. Fathers of the city, the aldermen. Father of the Faithful. (a) Abraham. --Rom. iv. --Gal. iii. 6-9. (b) Mohammed, or one of the sultans, his successors. Father of the house, the member of a legislative body who has had the longest continuous service. Most Reverend Father in God, a title given to archbishops and metropolitans, as to the archbishops of Canterbury and York. Natural father, the father of an illegitimate child. Putative father, one who is presumed to be the father of an illegitimate child; the supposed father. Spiritual father. (a) A religious teacher or guide, esp. one instrumental in leading a soul to God. (b) (R. C. Ch.) A priest who hears confession in the sacrament of penance. The Holy Father (R. C. Ch.), the pope.
Fa"ther\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Fathered; p. pr. & vb. n. Fathering.]1. To make one's self the father of; to beget. Cowards father cowards, and base things sire base. --Shak. 2. To take as one's own child; to adopt; hence, to assume as one's own work; to acknowledge one's self author of or responsible for (a statement, policy, etc.). Men of wit Often fathered what he writ. --Swift. 3. To provide with a father. [R.] Think you I am no stronger than my sex, Being so fathered and so husbanded ? --Shak. To father on or upon, to ascribe to, or charge upon, as one's offspring or work; to put or lay upon as being responsible. "Nothing can be so uncouth or extravagant, which may not be fathered on some fetch of wit, or some caprice of humor." --Barrow.
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r, Skt pitar, OIr athir, Armenian hayr
