orphan

[ awr-fuh n ]
/ ˈɔr fən /

noun

adjective

verb (used with object)

to deprive of parents or a parent through death: He was orphaned at the age of four.
Informal. to deprive of commercial sponsorship, an employer, etc.: The recession has orphaned many experienced workers.

Origin of orphan

1425–75; late Middle English (noun) < Late Latin orphanus destitute, without parents < Greek orphanós bereaved; akin to Latin orbus bereaved

OTHER WORDS FROM orphan

or·phan·hood, noun half-or·phan, noun un·or·phaned, adjective

Example sentences from the Web for orphan

British Dictionary definitions for orphan

orphan
/ (ˈɔːfən) /

noun

  1. a child, one or (more commonly) both of whose parents are dead
  2. (as modifier)an orphan child
printing the first line of a paragraph separated from the rest of the paragraph by occurring at the foot of a page

verb

(tr) to deprive of one or both parents

Word Origin for orphan

C15: from Late Latin orphanus, from Greek orphanos; compare Latin orbus bereaved