foundling
/fˈaʊndlɪŋ/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: 2.41 in modern English
14
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
2
Syllables
8
Unique Chars
Meaning
Example Sentences
- "foundling hospital"
- "In foundling hospitals, and among the children brought up by parish charities, the mortality is still greater than among those of the common people."
- "Moses was a foundling; Jesus Christ was born in a stable; and Mahomet was a mule driver."
- "[Owl:] YOU HEARD THAT FREMOUNT IS REALLY A^([sic]) ANT LION, MR. CONGERSMAN? [Frog:] IT'S A SAD BLOW TO THE PARTY JUST AT A TIME WHEN US OWLS MUST STICK TOGETHER. WORST PART IS, MRS. WEEVIL SAYS HER SISTER-AN'-LAW FOUND THE CANDIDATE IN A BOX OF POPCORN. [Owl:] AIN'T IT WORSE TO BE A CANNIBAL THAN A FOUNDLING? [Frog:] WE CAN SAY HE'S CHANGED HIS HABITS! BUT A FAMILY TREE LOOKS BAD SPROUTIN' OUT OF POPCORN⋯"
Etymology
From Middle English foundlyng, fondeyng, variants of Middle English fyndling, fyndlyng. By surface analysis, found + -ling.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: foundlyng, fyndling