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daughter

n.
US //ˈdɔtɝ// UK //dˈɔːtɐ// daugh·ter
  1. 1 female child (n.)
    A1 Beginner

    your female child.

    a female offspring in relation to her parents.

    Example

    They have two sons and one daughter who just started university.

    Example

    The couple took great pride in their daughter's academic achievements, especially when she was awarded a full scholarship to study medicine.
  2. 2 physics/science (n.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Science

    something that is produced from a starting substance, like in radioactive decay.

    an atom or nuclide formed by the radioactive decay of another atom.

    Example

    The scientists measured the amount of the daughter element to find the age of the rock.

    Example

    By calculating the ratio between the parent isotope and its daughter product, geologists can determine the precise age of volcanic strata.

    Usage

    Often used as a modifier, as in 'daughter cell' or 'daughter isotope'.
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  1. 3 linguistics (n.)
    C1 Advanced Academic

    a language that developed from an older language.

    a language that descends from a common ancestor through a process of genetic relationship.

    Example

    French and Italian are daughter languages of Latin.

    Example

    Historical linguists track phonological shifts to demonstrate how various daughter languages diverged from their Proto-Indo-European ancestor.
    • parent language
  2. 4 informal address (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Informal Dialect

    a way for an older person to speak to a younger woman.

    a familiar or patronising form of address to a female person from an older or authoritative figure.

    Example

    Don't you worry about that, daughter, it will all be fine.

    Example

    The old shopkeeper's habit of addressing every female customer as 'daughter' was seen by some as charming and by others as patronising.

    Teacher's tip

    This usage can be perceived as condescending or sexist in modern professional contexts; it is best avoided by learners.
Origin

From Middle English doghter, doughter, from Old English dohtor (“daughter”), from Proto-West Germanic dohter, from Proto-Germanic duhtēr, from Proto-Indo-European *dʰugh₂tḗr.

Word family
Idioms5 entries

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