<p><strong>Noun</strong></p><ul><li>a father or a mother.</li><li>an ancestor, precursor, or progenitor.</li><li>a source, origin, or cause.</li><li>a protector or guardian.</li><li>Biology: any organism that produces or generates another.</li><li>Physics: the first nuclide in a radioactive series.</li></ul><p><strong>Adjective</strong></p><ul><li>being the original source: a parent organization.</li><li>Biology: pertaining to an organism, cell, or complex molecular structure that generates or produces another: parent cell; parent DNA.</li></ul><p><strong>Verb</strong></p><ul><li>(used with object) to be or act as parent of: to parent children with both love and discipline.</li></ul>