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latchkey child

noun

  1. a child who must spend at least part of the day alone and unsupervised, as when the parents are away at work.

latchkey child

noun

  1. a child who has to let himself or herself in at home on returning from school, as his or her parents are out at work

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Word History and Origins

Origin of latchkey child1

First recorded in 1940–45; so called because such a child is provided with a key for getting into the home after school

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petrichor

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