foundling
/'faudliɳ/
Definition
- Noun:
- An abandoned child whose parents are unknown: A foundling is a child who has been deserted by their parents and left in a public place, with no information available about their identity or family background. Historically, foundlings were often left at churches, hospitals, or other institutions.
Examples of Usage
- Noun:
- The kind couple decided to adopt the foundling left on the steps of the orphanage.
- In the 18th century, many European cities established foundling hospitals to care for abandoned infants.
Advanced Usage
- "Foundling wheel": A historical revolving device, often set into the wall of a hospital or convent, where a baby could be placed anonymously and then rotated inside to safety.
- The nun heard the bell ring, signaling that a baby had been placed in the foundling wheel.
Variants and Related Words
- Foundling hospital (n): A charitable institution historically established to care for abandoned infants.
- The records from the old foundling hospital provided clues for many people searching for their biological roots.
Synonyms
- Abandoned child: A child who has been deserted.
- Waif: A homeless, neglected, or abandoned child, often implying thinness or fragility.
- Orphan: A child whose parents are dead. (Note: A foundling's parents are unknown, not necessarily deceased.)
Related Phrases
- To be left a foundling: To be abandoned as an infant.
- The story revealed that the hero had been left a foundling on a cold winter's night.
Noun
-
a child who has been abandoned and whose parents are unknown
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