different between father vs postman

English

Etymology

From Middle English fader, from Old English fæder, from Proto-West Germanic *fader, from Proto-Germanic *fad?r, from Proto-Indo-European *ph?t?r. Doublet of ayr, faeder, padre, pater, and père.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: fä'th?(r), IPA^(key): /?f??ð?(?)/
• (General American) enPR: fä'th?r, IPA^(key): /?f?ð?/
• (General Australian) enPR: fä'th?, IPA^(key): /?fa?ð?/
• (obsolete) enPR: f?'th?r, IPA^(key): /?fæð??/
• Homophone: farther (in non-rhotic accents)
• Rhymes: -??ð?(r)
• Hyphenation: fa?ther

Noun

father (plural fathers)

1. A (generally human) male who begets a child.
2. A male ancestor more remote than a parent; a progenitor; especially, a first ancestor.
3. A term of respectful address for an elderly man.

4. A term of respectful address for a priest.
5. A person who plays the role of a father in some way.
6. The founder of a discipline or science.

7. Something that is the greatest or most significant of its kind.
   • 1991, The Nairobi Law Monthly:

     Soon after the announcement of this year's election results, Mereka said that "the father of all battles had just begun." His dispute with Muite goes back to March last year […]

   • 2002, Financial Management:

     "If UK GDP slows by 1 per cent, there is the mother and father of all recessions. It was exciting, but very bizarre, working in such an environment."

   • 2012, Zubairu Wai, Epistemologies of African Conflicts: Violence, Evolutionism, and the War in Sierra Leone, Palgrave Macmillan: (?ISBN), page 93:

     “The Father of All Battles”

     On March 23, 1991, a band of armed insurgents attacked the town of Bomaru […]

8. Something inanimate that begets.

Synonyms

• (parent): see Thesaurus:father
• (most significant thing): see mother and granddaddy

Antonyms

• (with regards to gender) mother
• (with regards to ancestry) son, daughter, child

Hypernyms

• (a male parent): parent

Derived terms

Related terms

• Father
• Jupiter
• paternal

Translations

Verb

father (third-person singular simple present fathers, present participle fathering, simple past and past participle fathered)

1. To be a father to; to sire.
   • 1592, William Shakespeare, 1 Henry VI v 4

     Well, go to; we'll have no bastards live; Especially since Charles must father it.

2. (figuratively) To give rise to.
   • 1610, William Shakespeare, Cymbeline ii 2

     Cowards father cowards and base things sire base.

3. To act as a father; to support and nurture.
   • 1610, William Shakespeare, Cymbeline iv 2

     Ay, good youth! And rather father thee than master thee.

4. To provide with a father.
5. To adopt as one's own.
   • 1713, Jonathan Swift, Imitation of Horace, Book I. Ep. VII.

     Kept company with men of wit / Who often fathered what he writ.

Translations

See also

• beget
• grandpa
• pater
• paternal
• sire

Anagrams

• afther, fareth, hafter, trefah

Middle English

Noun

father

1. (Late Middle English) Alternative form of fader

English

Etymology

post +? -man

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?p??sm?n/, /?p??stm?n/

Noun

postman (plural postmen)

1. (chiefly Britain) someone (implied male) who delivers the post (mail) to, and/or collects the post from, residential or commercial addresses, or from public mailboxes.
2. One of the two most experienced barristers in the Court of Exchequer, who have precedence in motions, so called from the place where he sits, the other of the two being the tubman.
   • 1835, James Whishaw, A Synopsis of the Members of the English Bar

     Postman of the Court of Exchequer.

Synonyms

• (one who delivers the post): mailman

Antonyms

• mailwoman, mail lady, postwoman, post lady

Hypernyms

• (one who delivers the post): mail carrier, letter carrier, postal carrier, mailperson, postperson

Translations

Anagrams

• tampons, topsman