4  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Father  \Fa"ther\,  n.  [OE.  fader,  AS  f[ae]der;  akin  to  OS 
  fadar,  D.  vader,  OHG.  fatar,  G.  vater,  Icel.  Fa?ir  Sw  &  Dan. 
  fader,  OIr.  athir,  L.  pater,  Gr  ?????,  Skr.  pitr,  perh.  fr 
  Skr.  p[=a]  protect.  ???,???.  Cf  {Papa},  {Paternal}, 
  {Patriot},  {Potential},  {Pablum}.] 
  1.  One  who  has  begotten  a  child,  whether  son  or  daughter;  a 
  generator;  a  male  parent. 
 
  A  wise  son  maketh  a  glad  father.  --Prov.  x.  1. 
 
  2.  A  male  ancestor  more  remote  than  a  parent;  a  progenitor; 
  especially,  a  first  ancestor;  a  founder  of  a  race  or 
  family;  --  in  the  plural,  fathers,  ancestors. 
 
  David  slept  with  his  fathers.  --1  Kings  ii 
  10. 
 
  Abraham,  who  is  the  father  of  us  all  --Rom.  iv  16. 
 
  3.  One  who  performs  the  offices  of  a  parent  by  maintenance, 
  affetionate  care  counsel,  or  protection. 
 
  I  was  a  father  to  the  poor.  --Job  xxix. 
  16. 
 
  He  hath  made  me  a  father  to  Pharaoh,  and  lord  of  all 
  his  house.  --Gen.  xiv.  8. 
 
  4.  A  respectful  mode  of  address  to  an  old  man. 
 
  And  Joash  the  king  og  Israel  came  down  unto  him 
  [Elisha],  .  .  .  and  said  O  my  father,  my  father! 
  --2  Kings 
  xiii.  14. 
 
  5.  A  senator  of  ancient  Rome. 
 
  6.  A  dignitary  of  the  church,  a  superior  of  a  convent,  a 
  confessor  (called  also  {father  confessor}),  or  a  priest; 
  also  the  eldest  member  of  a  profession,  or  of  a 
  legislative  assembly,  etc 
 
  Bless  you  good  father  friar  !  --Shak. 
 
  7.  One  of  the  chief  esslesiastical  authorities  of  the  first 
  centuries  after  Christ;  --  often  spoken  of  collectively  as 
  the  Fathers;  as  the  Latin,  Greek,  or  apostolic  Fathers. 
 
  8.  One  who  or  that  which  gives  origin;  an  originator;  a 
  producer,  author,  or  contriver;  the  first  to  practice  any 
  art,  profession,  or  occupation;  a  distinguished  example  or 
  teacher. 
 
  The  father  of  all  such  as  handle  the  harp  and  organ. 
  --Gen.  iv  21. 
 
  Might  be  the  father,  Harry,  to  that  thought.  --Shak. 
 
  The  father  of  good  news  --Shak. 
 
  9.  The  Supreme  Being  and  Creator;  God;  in  theology,  the  first 
  person  in  the  Trinity. 
 
  Our  Father,  which  art  in  heaven.  --Matt.  vi  9. 
 
  Now  had  the  almighty  Father  from  above  .  .  .  Bent 
  down  his  eye.  --Milton. 
 
  {Adoptive  father},  one  who  adopts  the  child  of  another, 
  treating  it  as  his  own 
 
  {Apostolic  father},  {Conscript  fathers,  etc.}  See  under 
  {Apostolic},  {Conscript},  etc 
 
  {Father  in  God},  a  title  given  to  bishops. 
 
  {Father  of  lies},  the  Devil. 
 
  {Father  of  the  bar},  the  oldest  practitioner  at  the  bar. 
 
  {Fathers  of  the  city},  the  aldermen. 
 
  {Father  of  the  Faithful}. 
  a  Abraham.  --Rom.  iv  --Gal.  iii.  6-9. 
  b  Mohammed,  or  one  of  the  sultans,  his  successors. 
 
  {Father  of  the  house},  the  member  of  a  legislative  body  who 
  has  had  the  longest  continuous  service. 
 
  {Most  Reverend  Father  in  God},  a  title  given  to  archbishops 
  and  metropolitans,  as  to  the  archbishops  of  Canterbury  and 
  York. 
 
  {Natural  father},  the  father  of  an  illegitimate  child. 
 
  {Putative  father},  one  who  is  presumed  to  be  the  father  of  an 
  illegitimate  child;  the  supposed  father. 
 
  {Spiritual  father}. 
  a  A  religious  teacher  or  guide,  esp.  one  instrumental  in 
  leading  a  soul  to  God. 
  b  (R.  C.  Ch.)  A  priest  who  hears  confession  in  the 
  sacrament  of  penance. 
 
  {The  Holy  Father}  (R.  C.  Ch.),  the  pope. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Father  \Fa"ther\,  v.  t.  [imp.  &  p.  p.  {Fathered};  p.  pr  &  vb 
  n.  {Fathering}.] 
  1.  To  make  one's  self  the  father  of  to  beget. 
 
  Cowards  father  cowards,  and  base  things  sire  base. 
  --Shak. 
 
  2.  To  take  as  one's  own  child;  to  adopt;  hence  to  assume  as 
  one's  own  work  to  acknowledge  one's  self  author  of  or 
  responsible  for  (a  statement,  policy,  etc.). 
 
  Men  of  wit  Often  fathered  what  he  writ.  --Swift. 
 
  3.  To  provide  with  a  father.  [R.] 
 
  Think  you  I  am  no  stronger  than  my  sex,  Being  so 
  fathered  and  so  husbanded  ?  --Shak. 
 
  {To  father  on}  or  {upon},  to  ascribe  to  or  charge  upon  as 
  one's  offspring  or  work  to  put  or  lay  upon  as  being 
  responsible.  ``Nothing  can  be  so  uncouth  or  extravagant, 
  which  may  not  be  fathered  on  some  fetch  of  wit,  or  some 
  caprice  of  humor.''  --Barrow. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  father 
  n  1:  a  male  parent  (also  used  as  a  term  of  address  to  your 
  father);  "his  father  was  born  in  Atlanta"  [syn:  {male 
  parent},  {begetter}]  [ant:  {mother},  {mother}] 
  2:  the  founder  of  a  family;  "keep  the  faith  of  our  forefathers" 
  [syn:  {forefather},  {sire}] 
  3:  `Father'  is  a  term  of  address  for  priests  in  some  churches 
  (especially  Roman  or  Orthodox  Catholic);  `Padre'  is 
  frequently  used  in  the  military  [syn:  {Father},  {Padre}] 
  4:  an  early  writer  accepted  as  an  authority  on  the  teachings 
  and  practices  of  the  Christian  church  [syn:  {Church  Father}, 
  {Father}] 
  5:  a  person  who  holds  an  important  or  distinguished  position  in 
  some  organization;  "the  tennis  fathers  ruled  in  her 
  favor";  "the  city  fathers  endorsed  the  proposal" 
  6:  God  when  considered  as  the  first  person  in  the  Trinity; 
  "hear  our  prayers,  Heavenly  Father"  [syn:  {Father},  {Father-God}] 
  7:  a  person  who  founds  or  establishes  some  institution;  "George 
  Washington  is  the  father  of  his  country"  [syn:  {founder}, 
  {beginner},  {founding  father}] 
  v  :  make  children;  "Abraham  begot  Isaac";  "Men  often  father 
  children  but  don't  recognize  them"  [syn:  {beget},  {get}, 
  {engender},  {mother},  {sire},  {generate},  {bring  forth}] 
 
  From  Easton's  1897  Bible  Dictionary  [easton]: 
 
  Father 
  a  name  applied  (1)  to  any  ancestor  (Deut.  1:11;  1  Kings  15:11; 
  Matt.  3:9;  23:30,  etc.);  and  (2)  as  a  title  of  respect  to  a 
  chief,  ruler,  or  elder,  etc  (Judg.  17:10;  18:19;  1  Sam.  10:12; 
  2  Kings  2:12;  Matt.  23:9,  etc.).  (3)  The  author  or  beginner  of 
  anything  is  also  so  called  e.g.,  Jabal  and  Jubal  (Gen.  4:20, 
  21;  comp.  Job  38:28). 
 
  Applied  to  God  (Ex.  4:22;  Deut.  32:6;  2  Sam.  7:14;  Ps  89:27, 
  28,  etc.).  (1.)  As  denoting  his  covenant  relation  to  the  Jews 
  (Jer.  31:9;  Isa.  63:16;  64:8;  John  8:41,  etc.). 
 
  (2.)  Believers  are  called  God's  sons"  (John  1:12;  Rom.  8:16; 
  Matt.  6:4,  8,  15,  18;  10:20,  29).  They  also  call  him  Father" 
  (Rom.  1:7;  1  Cor.  1:3;  2  Cor.  1:2;  Gal.  1:4) 
 

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