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Foundling vs Orphan - What's the difference?

foundling | orphan |

As nouns the difference between foundling and orphan

is that foundling is an abandoned child, left by its parent(s), often a baby left at a convent or similar safe place while orphan is a person, especially a minor, both or (rarely) one of whose parents have died.

As an adjective orphan is

deprived of parents (also {{term|orphaned}}).

As a verb orphan is

to deprive of parents (used almost exclusively in the passive.

foundling

English

Noun

  • An abandoned child, left by its parent(s), often a baby left at a convent or similar safe place.
  • * 1749', (Henry Fielding), '' .
  • * 1776 , (Adam Smith), ,
    • In foundling hospitals, and among the children brought up by parish charities, the mortality is still greater than among those of the common people.
  • * 1794 , (Thomas Paine), (Part I) ,
    • Moses was a foundling ; Jesus Christ was born in a stable; and Mahomet was a mule driver.

    Derived terms

    * foundling wheel

    See also

    * oblate

    Anagrams

    *

    orphan

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A person, especially a , both or (rarely) one of whose parents have died.
  • * '>citation
  • A young animal with no mother.
  • (figuratively) Anything that is unsupported, as by its source, provider or caretaker, by reason of the supporter's or decision to abandon.
  • (typography) A single line of type, beginning a paragraph, at the bottom of a column or page.
  • (computing) Any unreferenced object.

    • Derived terms

    * orphanage * orphancy * orphandom * orphanhood * orphaner * orphanet * orphan initialism * orphanism * orphanity * orphanize * orphanotropism * orphanry * orphanship * orphany

    Adjective

    (-)
  • Deprived of parents (also (orphaned)).
    • She is an orphan child.
  • (by extension, figuratively) Remaining after the removal of some form of support.
    • With its government funding curtailed, the gun registry became an orphan program.

    Related terms

    * orphan drug

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To deprive of parents (used almost exclusively in the passive )
    • What do you do when you come across two orphaned polar bear cubs?
  • (computing) To make unavailable, as by removing the last remaining pointer or reference to.
    • When you removed that image tag, you orphaned the resized icon.
    Removing categories orphans pages from the main category tree.

    References

    * " orphan" at OneLook® Dictionary Search .