parent — Defs

01 n. One who begets, or brings forth, offspring; a father or a mother.

1.
One who begets, or brings forth, offspring; a father or a mother.
“Children, obey your parents in the Lord.” — Eph. vi. 1.
2.
That which produces; cause; source; author; begetter; as, idleness is the parent of vice.
“Regular industry is the parent of sobriety.” — Channing.

Phrases & compounds

Parent cell — See Mother cell, under Mother, also Cytula.

Parent nucleus — a nucleus which, in cell division, divides, and gives rise to two or more daughter nuclei. See Karyokinesis, and Cell division, under Division.