fa‧ther 1 S1 W1 / fɑðə $ -ər / 名词 [可数名词]

1 parent a male parent :

Ask your father to help you.

Andrew was very excited about becoming a father.

He’s been like a father to me.

a father of two/three/four etc (= a man with two, three etc children )

The driver, a father of four, escaped uninjured.

Steve recently became the proud father of a 7lb 12oz baby girl.

2 priest Father a priest, especially in the Roman Catholic Church :

I have sinned, Father.

Father Devlin → Holy Father

3 fathers [复数形式] people related to you who lived a long time ago 同义词 ancestors :

Our fathers were exiles from their native land. → forefather

4 god Father a way of talking to or talking about God, used in the Christian religion :

our Heavenly Father

5 the father of something the man who was responsible for starting something :

Freud is the father of psychoanalysis.

6 from father to son if property or skill passes from father to son, children receive it or learn it from their parents :

This is a district where old crafts are handed down from father to son.

7 like father like son used to say that a boy behaves like his father, especially when this behaviour is bad

8 a bit of how’s your father British English informal the act of having sex – used humorously

→ city fathers , founding father

THESAURUS

father a male parent : My father’s a doctor. | He’s a father of three.

dad informal used when talking to your father, or about someone’s father : Can I borrow your car, Dad? | Her dad retired ten years ago. | My dad was in the army.

daddy a name for father, which is used especially by young children or when you are talking to young children : Where’s your daddy? | Daddy, can I have a drink, please?

pop American English informal ( also pa old-fashioned ) used when talking to your father, or about someone’s father : I helped Pop fix the gate this morning. | Can I help, Pa? | He is in New York with his Pop’s credit card, eating all the ice cream and pizza the city has to offer.

papa old-fashioned informal used when talking to your father, or about someone’s father : Papa had forbidden me to go. | She saw her papa ’s face change at this news.

sb’s old man informal someone’s father – used when talking about him in a way that is not very respectful : His old man wouldn’t let him use the car.

stepfather ( also stepdad informal ) a man who is married to your mother, who is not your father but often acts as your parent : Her stepfather is really nice.