Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A deserted or abandoned child of unknown parentage.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun An infant found abandoned or exposed; a child without a parent or claimant.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun A deserted or exposed infant; a child found without a parent or owner.
- noun a hospital for foundlings.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun An
abandoned child, left by its parent(s), often ababy left at aconvent or similarsafe place.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun a child who has been abandoned and whose parents are unknown
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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You see, sir, I'm a poor foundling from the Belfast Asylum, shoved out by the mother that bore me, upon the wide wurld, long before I knew that I was in it.
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So they call the foundling "Mary Rose" and make a solemn oath to stick together and make a good life "for the roses".
Sweet Valley? Implicit Racism & Other thoughts fantasyecho 2008
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Their foundling was the rightful King of Birnam-and small wonder there were assassins seeking him.
The Lark And The Wren Lackey, Mercedes 1992
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A foundling is a foundling, anywhere in Thorbardin.
The Gates of Thorbardin Parkinson, Dan 1990
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A foundling is a foundling, anywhere in Thorbardin.
The Gates of Thorbardin Parkinson, Dan 1990
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A foundling is a foundling, anywhere in Thorbardin.
The Gates of Thorbardin Parkinson, Dan 1990
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But this so-called foundling is a perfect monster of abomination, said Jehanne.
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But when his comrade, the true father, heard this tale from him he said to himself, "This matter must have been after such fashion," and he was certified that the foundling was his son, for that he had heard the history told by the mother of the babe with the same details essential and accidental.
Arabian nights. English Anonymous 1855
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The Magi, to their credit, told Astyages that his dream had been fulfilled, that Cyrus -- as we must now call the foundling prince -- had fulfilled it by becoming a king in play, and the boy is let to go back to his father and his hardy Persian life.
Historical Lectures and Essays Charles Kingsley 1847
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Though called a foundling hospital, it is in reality a general receptacle for all children, who are received up to a certain age, without exception, it being left entirely to the option of the parent to state their names and condition, and to contribute or not, to the future support of the child.
A Journey in Russia in 1858 Robert Heywood 1827
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