dad en · NOUN · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- (US) audio
- /dæd/
Etymology
From Early Modern English dadd, dadde (circa 1500), undoubtedly older, from unrecorded Middle English *dadde, of uncertain ultimate origin. Compare West Frisian deite (“dad, daddy”), Swabian Dede (“Godfather”). * Perhaps of Celtic origin, compare Welsh and Breton tad (from Proto-Brythonic *tad), Old Irish data; and possibly related to Russian дя́дя (djádja, “uncle”) and/or Russian де́душка (déduška, “grandfather”), all imitative. In Welsh, when subject to soft mutation (which occurs in vocative contexts, among others), tad becomes dad. * Perhaps imitative of a child's first uttered syllables da, da. * Possibly from a metathetic variation of a hypothetical Old English *ætta, *atta (“father”), from Proto-West Germanic *attō, from Proto-Germanic *attô ("father, forefather"; whence also North Frisian ate, aatj, taatje, tääte (“father; dad”), Middle High German tate (“father, dad”) (whence German Tate (“dad”), Bavarian tatte (“dad”), Cimbrian tatta (“dad”)), Icelandic táta (“dad”)), from Proto-Indo-European *átta (“father”), whence Sanskrit तत (tata, “father”).
Meanings
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(informal) A father, a male parent.
His dad was always there for him.
A lot of the power for dads comes in the form of modeling. As much as dads can teach their sons directly and guide them in the world, they also provide an example of who their children can aim to be as they grow up, Singley said. “There are going to be the times when as the dad I’m going to screw up,” he said.
2025 June 15, Madeline Holcombe, “How to be a dad to sons today, according to experts”, in CNN:
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Used to address one's father; often capitalized.
Happy Father's Day, dad!
- (slang) Used to address an older adult male.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| dadde | alternative, obsolete | lexicographic | |
| dads | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
biodad · dadly · insta-dad · dad-burned · dadship · do-dad · ballet dad · dad shower · dadless · soccer dad · stepdad · doo-dad · weekend dad · superdad · dad bod · granddad · dadchelor party · dad dancer · deadbeat dad · dad-dancing · ho-dad · bonus dad · daddish · dad dancing · dadness · dadsplain · dad-blamed · dad joke · seahorse dad · eagle dad · bank of mum and dad · Instadad · dadrock · dadpreneur · dadcore · dadbod · dad burn · dadvice · dadication · dadlike · stay-at-home dad · dadhood
Relateds
daddio · grandpappy · daddy · mom · mum · da · dada · sire
Synonyms
pop · daddio · pepaw · Father · pops · papaw · dada · poppy · paw · Pappy · ayr · daddy · daddio · ba · old man · paw · fatherling · father · pap · sire · patriarch · pop · pawpaw · Pop · baba · dada · poppa · pappaw · dad · pops · Pa · papa bear · peepaw · daddy · governor · pappy · pappa · papa · pa · pa · Dad · papa · pater · pop · da · pater
Translations (199)
lut babaʔ (informal: a father) · ru папа́ша (informal address for an older male) · fr papa (informal: a father) · uk тату́сь (informal: a father) · ml അച്ഛന് (informal: a father) · ba атай (informal: a father) · dng де (informal: a father) · ko 아버지 (informal: a father) · mn аав (informal: a father) · sa तात (informal: a father) · eo paĉjo (informal: a father) · ar بابا (familiar address of one's own father) · hi बाबा (informal: a father) · tg дада (informal: a father) · ru ба́тя (familiar address of one's own father) · mi e para (familiar address of one's own father) · grc πάππας (informal: a father) · cy dad (informal: a father) · hi बापू (informal: a father) · sk tatík (informal: a father) · yue 爸爸 (informal: a father) · tzj tata’ (informal: a father) · fi isi (familiar address of one's own father) · eu aitatxo (informal: a father) · sl ata (informal: a father) · fr papa (familiar address of one's own father) · it babbo (informal: a father) · sh та̏та (informal: a father) · ppl -tēku (informal: a father) · nci tata (informal: a father) · ga daid (informal: a father) · lou papa (familiar address of one's own father) · cmn 爸爸 (informal: a father) · hi पिताजी (informal: a father) · ga deaide (familiar address of one's own father) · dng дада (informal: a father) · tk däde (informal: a father) · el μπαμπάς (informal: a father) · sk otecko (informal: a father) · ja お父さん (familiar address of one's own father) · de Papa (informal: a father) · hy պապա (informal: a father) · ca papa (informal: a father) · sk tatko (informal: a father) · fi isukki (informal: a father) · te అయ్యా (informal: a father) · lou papa (informal: a father) · uk та́то (informal: a father) · alt ада (informal: a father) · uz dada (informal: a father) · is pabbi (informal: a father) · ko 아빠 (informal: a father) · fi pappa (informal address for an older male) · lou popa (informal: a father) · la tata (informal: a father) · ga daid (familiar address of one's own father) · tr baba (informal: a father) · fi isäukko (informal: a father) · fa-ira باب (informal: a father) · lt tėtis (informal: a father) · cy tad (informal: a father) · mr बाबा (informal: a father) · es papá (familiar address of one's own father) · lou pap (familiar address of one's own father) · vi cha (informal: a father) · ta தந்தை (informal: a father) · ru па́почка (informal: a father) · nl pappa (informal: a father) · de Vati (familiar address of one's own father) · ar أبي (familiar address of one's own father) · af papa (informal: a father) · ltg tēte (informal: a father) · ja 父 (informal: a father) · mh baba (familiar address of one's own father) · gsw attu (informal: a father) · lou papi (informal: a father) · pt pai (informal: a father) · mk тате (informal: a father) · bn বাবা (informal: a father) · ba атай (familiar address of one's own father) · ru па́па (familiar address of one's own father) · kaa ataqay (informal: a father) · sl oče (informal: a father) · km ឳ (informal: a father) · ru ба́тюшка (familiar address of one's own father) · pl tata (informal: a father) · de Papi (familiar address of one's own father) · tl ama (informal: a father) · fi faija (informal: a father) · ru тя́тя (familiar address of one's own father) · sv pappa (informal: a father) · cs tatínek (informal: a father) · it papà (familiar address of one's own father) · he אַבָּא (familiar address of one's own father) · sh tȁta (informal: a father) · vo fatül (informal: a father) · hi अब्बा (informal: a father) · hi बाप (informal: a father) · sw baba (informal: a father) · ur باپ (informal: a father) · tg дадо (informal: a father) · pt papá (informal: a father) · ee baba (informal: a father) · cmn 爸 (informal: a father) · mh baba (informal: a father) · it babbo (familiar address of one's own father) · dng баба (informal: a father) · be та́та (informal: a father) · ur دادا (informal: a father) · yue 阿爸 (informal: a father) · nb pappa (informal: a father) · ka მამიკო (informal: a father) · fi isi (informal: a father) · fi setä (informal address for an older male) · vi ba (informal: a father) · be ба́ця (informal: a father) · ro tată (informal: a father) · ur بابا (informal: a father) · ckt татай (informal: a father) · fa-ira پِدَر (informal: a father) · pt papai (informal: a father) · it pà (informal: a father) · kk әке (informal: a father) · te నాన్న (informal: a father) · es papá (informal: a father) · ltg tēteite (informal: a father) · ky атаке (informal: a father) · gl papá (informal: a father) · pl tato (informal: a father) · lou pap (informal: a father) · ru тя́тя (informal: a father) · uk не́ньо (informal: a father) · pl tata (familiar address of one's own father) · wni ɓɓangu (familiar address of one's own father) · gl papai (informal: a father) · az dədə (informal: a father) · et issi (informal: a father) · dng ада (informal: a father) · as বাবা (informal: a father) · ja パパ (informal: a father) · vi thầy (informal: a father) · ml ബാപ്പ (informal: a father) · hi पापा (informal: a father) · sl očka (informal: a father) · ar بَابَا (informal: a father) · bg та́тко (informal: a father) · af pa (informal: a father) · mk тато (informal: a father) · pl tato (familiar address of one's own father) · pl tatuś (informal: a father) · cy tada (informal: a father) · it pà (familiar address of one's own father) · ru ба́тюшка (informal: a father) · de Papi (informal: a father) · fo babba (informal: a father) · ru ба́тя (informal: a father) · yi טאַטע (informal: a father) · et taat (informal: a father) · lou popa (familiar address of one's own father) · fi iskä (informal: a father) · gl pai (informal: a father) · ga deaide (informal: a father) · sq babi (informal: a father) · pt papá (familiar address of one's own father) · mzn بابا (informal: a father) · io papa (informal: a father) · ka მამა (informal: a father) · ru па́па (informal: a father) · uk та́тко (informal: a father) · ja お父さん (informal: a father) · lou papi (familiar address of one's own father) · lv tētis (informal: a father) · ta அப்பா (informal: a father) · hu apa (informal: a father) · ka მამი (familiar address of one's own father) · ckt атэ (informal: a father) · de Vati (informal: a father) · hu apu (informal: a father) · ur اَبّا (informal: a father) · mk татко (informal: a father) · yue 爹哋 (informal: a father) · de Papa (familiar address of one's own father) · gsw attò (informal: a father) · pl tatuś (familiar address of one's own father) · it papà (informal: a father) · ca papà (informal: a father) · yua tata (informal: a father) · kn ಅಪ್ಪ (informal: a father) · sl tata (informal: a father) · ka მამიკო (familiar address of one's own father) · ky аке (informal: a father) · fa-ira بابا (informal: a father) · vi bố (informal: a father) · vi tía (informal: a father) · th พ่อ (informal: a father) · mr पप्पा (informal: a father) · he אַבָּא (informal: a father) · cmn 爹 (informal: a father) · eo paĉjo (familiar address of one's own father)