Definitions for fatherˈfɑ ðər

Random House Webster's College Dictionary

fa•therˈfɑ ðər(n.)

the begetter of offspring; male parent.
(often cap.) one's own father.
Category: Common Vocabulary
a father-in-law, stepfather, adoptive father, or foster father.
any male ancestor; forefather; progenitor.
a man who gives paternal care to others; protector or provider.
a person who has originated or established something.
a precursor, prototype, or early form.
one of the leading men in a city, town, etc.
a priest or a title for a priest.
Category: Religion
(cap.) God, esp. the first person of the Trinity.
Category: Religion
a title of respect for an elderly man.
any of the chief early Christian writers.
Category: Religion
(v.t.)to beget.
to be the creator, founder, or author of; originate.
to act as a father toward.
to take the responsibility for.
to establish the paternity or source of.
(v.i.)to perform the tasks or duties of a male parent; act paternally.
Category: Common Vocabulary

Origin of father:

bef. 900; ME fader, OE fæder; c. OS fadar, OHG fater, ON fathir, L pater, GK patḗr, Skt pitar

fa′ther•like`(adj.)

Princeton's WordNet

father, male parent, begetter(noun)
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
"his father was born in Atlanta"
forefather, father, sire(noun)
the founder of a family
"keep the faith of our forefathers"
Father, Padre(noun)
`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
Church Father, Father of the Church, Father(noun)
(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
father(noun)
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"
Father, Father-God, Fatherhood(noun)
God when considered as the first person in the Trinity
"hear our prayers, Heavenly Father"
founder, beginner, founding father, father(noun)
a person who founds or establishes some institution
"George Washington is the father of his country"
don, father(verb)
the head of an organized crime family
beget, get, engender, father, mother, sire, generate, bring forth(verb)
make children
"Abraham begot Isaac"; "Men often father children but don't recognize them"

Kernerman English Learner's Dictionary

father(noun)ˈfɑ ðər
a male parent
my father and mother; He was a great father and friend.
fatherˈfɑ ðər
used to address priests in some churches
fatherˈfɑ ðər
in Christianity, used to address God

Wiktionary

father(Noun)
A male who sires (and often raises) a child.
My father was a strong influence on me.
father(Noun)
A male donator of sperm which resulted in conception or fertilisation
father(Noun)
A term of address for an elderly man.
Come, father; you can sit here.
father(Noun)
A person who plays the role of a father in some way.
father(Noun)
The founder of a discipline or science.
Albert Einstein is the father of modern physics.
father(Verb)
To be a father to; to sire.
father(Verb)
To give rise to.
father(Verb)
To act as a father; to support and nurture.
Father(ProperNoun)
God, the father of Creation
Father(ProperNoun)
A title given to priests.
Father Thomas was a good priest.
Father(ProperNoun)
One's father
I will only do what Father asks.
Father(ProperNoun)
One of the triune gods of the Horned God in Wicca alongside the Master and Sage and representing a man; younger than a Sage and older than a Master

Origin: From fader, from fæder, from fadēr (cf. East Frisian foar, Dutch vader, German Vater), from ph₂tḗr (cf. Irish athair, Tocharian A pācar, B pācer, Lithuanian patinas 'male animal'), akin to pater, akin to Ancient Greek πατήρ.

Webster Dictionary

Father(noun)
one who has begotten a child, whether son or daughter; a generator; a male parent
Father(noun)
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
Father(noun)
one who performs the offices of a parent by maintenance, affetionate care, counsel, or protection
Father(noun)
a respectful mode of address to an old man
Father(noun)
a senator of ancient Rome
Father(noun)
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
Father(noun)
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
Father(noun)
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
Father(noun)
the Supreme Being and Creator; God; in theology, the first person in the Trinity
Father(verb)
to make one's self the father of; to beget
Father(verb)
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.)
Father(verb)
to provide with a father