noun
foundling
FOUND-ling/ˈfaʊndlɪŋ/
An abandoned infant found and cared for by others.
The caregiver lifts the foundling from the basket left at the doorway.
Etymology
A foundling is literally a little one who has been found. The name describes an abandoned infant through discovery rather than known parentage.
In context
He was handsome; he, that orphan, that foundling, that outcast, he felt himself august and strong
More examples
- The couple raises the foundling as their own child.
- The hospital keeps records of foundlings left at its doors.
- No one knows the names of the foundling's parents.
Forms
foundling · foundlings