Father

Father

A father (or dad) is defined as a male parent or Individual progenitor of human offspring. The adjective "paternal" refers to a father and comparatively to "maternal" for a mother. The verb "to father" means to procreate or to sire a child from which also derives the gerund "fathering". Fathers determine the gender of their child through a sperm cell which either contains an X chromosome (female), or Y chromosome (male).

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Famous quotes containing the word father:

    “As a father I had some trouble finding the words to separate the person from the deed. Usually, when one of my sons broke the rules or a window, I was too angry to speak calmly and objectively. My own solution was to express my feelings, but in an exaggerated, humorous way: “You do that again and you will be grounded so long they will call you Rip Van Winkle II,” or “If I hear that word again, I’m going to braid your tongue.””
    —David Elkind (20th century)

    “Providing for one’s family as a good husband and father is a water-tight excuse for making money hand over fist. Greed may be a sin, exploitation of other people might, on the face of it, look rather nasty, but who can blame a man for “doing the best” for his children?”
    —Eva Figes (b. 1932)

    “What shall he have that killed the deer?
    His leather skin and horns to wear.
    Then sing him home.
    Take thou no scorn to wear the horn,
    It was a crest ere thou wast born;
    Thy father’s father wore it,
    And thy father bore it.
    The horn, the horn, the lusty horn
    Is not a thing to laugh to scorn.”
    —William Shakespeare (1564–1616)