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offspring definition

off·spring (-spriŋ′)

noun pl. offspring -·spring′ or offsprings -·springs′

  1. a child or animal as related to its parent
  2. a descendant or descendants collectively; progeny
  3. a product, outcome, or result

Etymology: ME ofspring < OE: see off & spring

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:

medical offspring definition - medical

offspring Synonyms

offspring

n.

child, children, progeny, issue, descendant, sibling, lineage, 'scion, generation, posterity, brood, seed, family, heirs, offshoot, heredity, succession, successor, next generation, chip off the old block*; see also baby 1, child.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

offspring Usage Examples

Preposition: of

  • dam: MAFF advice is that you do not retain for breeding the most recent offspring of a BSE-affected dam.

Converse of object

  • beget: In the design of God, each creature begets offspring " after his kind " ( Gen.

Adjective modifier

  • illegitimate: I have often heard stories of the illegitimate offspring of top Nazis.

Modifies a noun

  • ratio: Cooperative breeders adjust offspring sex ratios to produce helpful helpers.

Noun used with modifier

  • thine: I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring " ( xliv.
offspring usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

offspring quotes

The love of posterity is a consequence of the necessity of death. If a man were sure of living forever here, he would not care about his offspring.

-Hawthorne, Nathaniel

Hail holy Light, offspring of Heav'n first-born. Bright effluence of bright essence increate.

-Milton,John

Hail, wedded love, mysterious law, true source Of human offspring, sole propriety In Paradise of all things common else. 583

-Milton,John

offspring quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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MLA Style

"offspring." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/offspring>

APA Style

offspring. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/offspring

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