parent: Meaning and Definition of
par•ent
Pronunciation: (pâr'unt, par'-), [key]
— n.
- a father or a mother.
- an ancestor, precursor, or progenitor.
- a source, origin, or cause.
- a protector or guardian.
- any organism that produces or generates another.
- the first nuclide in a radioactive series.
—adj.
- being the original source: a parent organization.
- pertaining to an organism, cell, or complex molecular structure that generates or produces another: parent cell; parent DNA.
—v.t.
- to be or act as parent of: to parent children with both love and discipline.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.