Family / B2

ORFN/ˈɔːfn/

An orphan is a child whose parents have died; as a verb, to leave someone without parents: war orphans; orphaned by the famine. Foundling is an abandoned infant (historical). Name orphans as a group in the source, not a sentimental caption. Mix-up: often; organ. Do not use orphan as a joke for a file with no folder.

Meaning

A child whose parents have died; as a verb, to leave someone without parents.

Examples

• “The history source counts war orphans, not a sentimental caption.”
• “An orphaned dataset with no metadata still cannot be reused, which is the technical metaphor — use it only if the mark scheme allows.”

Good to know

an orphan; war orphans; orphaned by. Trap: often / organ. History, literature, and news. A child without parents; avoid flippant IT jokes in exams.

Topics

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