Parent

[pair-uh nt, par-] /ˈpɛər ənt, ˈpær-/

noun
1.
a father or a mother.
2.
an ancestor, precursor, or progenitor.
3.
a source, origin, or cause.
4.
a protector or guardian.
5.
Biology. any organism that produces or generates another.
6.
Physics. the first nuclide in a radioactive series.
adjective
7.
being the original source:
a parent organization.
8.
Biology. pertaining to an organism, cell, or complex molecular structure that generates or produces another:
parent cell; parent DNA.
verb (used with object)
9.
to be or act as parent of:
to parent children with both love and discipline.
/ˈpɛərənt/
noun
1.
a father or mother
2.
a person acting as a father or mother; guardian
3.
(rare) an ancestor
4.
a source or cause
5.

6.
(physics, chem)

n.

early 15c. (late 12c. as a surname), from Old French parent “father, parent, relative, kin” (11c.), from Latin parentem (nominative parens) “father or mother, ancestor,” noun use of present participle of parere “bring forth, give birth to, produce,” from PIE root *pere- “to bring forth” (see pare). Began to replace native elder after c.1500.
v.

1660s, from parent (n.). Related: Parented; parenting.

parent par·ent (pâr’ənt, pār’-)
n.

v. par·ent·ed, par·ent·ing, par·ents

mathematics, data
The ancestor node in a tree that points to the current node (one of its child nodes).
(2005-09-15)