# son

Pronunciation: say "SUN" /sʌn/

## Noun

1. A boy or man in relation to his parents, whether by birth or adoption.
   - Simple: A boy or man who is someone's child, by birth or by adoption.
   - _He raised his son to be honest and hardworking._
   - _The couple's youngest son moved abroad for work._
2. In Christianity, Jesus Christ understood as the offspring of God and one of the three persons of the Trinity, normally capitalized as the Son.
   - Simple: In Christian belief, Jesus as God's own child and one of the three persons of God, written 'the Son.'
   - _The infant was baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit._
   - _Early church councils argued over whether the Son was equal to the Father._
3. A familiar term of address for a boy or man, especially a younger one, or informally for a friend or peer.
   - Simple: A friendly way to speak to a boy or man, especially someone younger, or sometimes a friend.
   - _"Take a seat, son," the judge said quietly._
   - _"You did well today, son," his coach told him after practice._
4. A male person whose close bond with an older or more authoritative figure makes him like a son to that person.
   - Simple: A boy or man so close to an older person or mentor that he is like their son.
   - _The aging trainer regarded his star pupil almost as a son._
   - _He had been a son to the old captain in every way but blood._
5. A person, usually a man, regarded as the product or representative of a particular place, people, period, or movement.
   - Simple: A person, usually a man, seen as coming from or shaped by a certain place, people or time.
   - _The mountain town claims the explorer as its proudest son._
   - _As a son of the coalfields, he never forgot where he came from._
6. A genre of Cuban music and dance blending Spanish and African elements, which originated in the late nineteenth century. (pronounced: US say "SAHN" /sɑn/; UK say "SON" /sɒn/)
   - Simple: A kind of Cuban music and dance that mixes Spanish and African styles.
   - _The band closed the night with a lively set of son._
   - _Cuban son spread across the Caribbean in the early twentieth century._

## Verb

7. To give birth to, father, or beget a male child. *(rare)*
   - Simple: To give birth to or father a baby boy.

## Other meanings

- (verb) To address someone using the word "son".
- (noun) In file backups, the most recent version of a file, produced from the earlier 'father' version.

## Origin

**Meanings 1–5** — This word comes from Middle English "sonn," from Old English "sunu" ("son"), going back through Proto-Germanic "*sunuz" to a Proto-Indo-European noun "*suHnús" ("son"), from "*sewH-" ("to bear; give birth").
**Meaning 7** — This comes from Middle English "sonen," which was formed from the noun (the "son" entry above).
**Meaning 6** — This comes from Spanish "son," literally meaning "tone, sound."

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/son (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).