Orphan
|or-phan|
🇺🇸
/ˈɔr.fən/
🇬🇧
/ˈɔː.fən/
(orphan)
parentless; left alone
Etymology
'orphan' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'orphanos', where 'orphanos' meant 'bereft' or 'without parents'.
'orphan' passed into Late Latin as 'orphanus', then into Old French as 'orphelin', and entered Middle English as 'orphan' (or 'orphelyn'), eventually becoming the modern English 'orphan'.
Initially, it meant 'bereft, without parents', and over time it retained that core meaning while also gaining specialized senses (e.g., typographic 'orphan' and figurative uses).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a child whose parents are dead.
The war left many children orphans.
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Noun 2
a person or animal bereft of some necessary or usual support (used figuratively).
The company was an orphan after losing its main investor.
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Noun 3
in typography, a short line at the beginning of a column or page left by a page break (also closely related to 'widow').
The designer adjusted the margins to avoid an orphan at the top of the page.
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Verb 1
to make (a child) an orphan by depriving them of their parents.
The explosion orphaned several children in the town.
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Last updated: 2025/12/12 13:08