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foundling

 - 4 dictionary results

found⋅ling

  [found-ling]
Use foundling in a Sentence
–noun
an infant or small child found abandoned; a child without a known parent or guardian.
Origin:
1250–1300; ME found(e)ling. See found 1 , -ling 1
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To foundling
found·ling   (found'lĭng)   
n.  A deserted or abandoned child of unknown parentage.

[Middle English, from found, past participle of finden, to find; see find.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

foundling 
"deserted infant," c.1300, from M.E. founden "found," pp. of finden (see find) + dim. suffix -ling.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: found·ling
Pronunciation: 'faun-(d)li[ng]
Function: noun
: an infant found after its unknown parents have abandoned it
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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