par·ent [ pârnt, pr- ] n.

1. One who begets, gives birth to, or nurtures and raises a child; a father or mother.
2. An ancestor; a progenitor.
3. An organism that produces or generates offspring.
4. A guardian; a protector.
5. A parent company.
6. A source or cause; an origin: Despair is the parent of rebellion.

v. par·ent·ed, par·ent·ing, par·ents
v. tr.

1. To act as a parent to; raise and nurture: "A genitor who does not parent the child is not its parent" (Ashley Montagu).
2. To cause to come into existence; originate.

To act as a parent.

[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin
parns, parent- from past active participle of parere, to give birth; see per-¹ in Indo-European roots.]

parent·hood n.

The American Heritage ® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
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