foundling

IPA/ˈfaʊndlɪŋ/
KK[fˈaʊndlɪŋ]IPA/ˈfaʊndlɪŋ/

foundling — noun

  • foundlingsingular
  • foundlingsplural

1. a baby or very young child that has been secretly left in a public place by thei

1.名詞C2
釋義

a baby or very young child that has been secretly left in a public place by their parents, and is later found by someone who takes over their care

例句

Nurse Elena Garcia found a newborn foundling in a basket on the hospital steps one cold morning.

active voice: found + direct object foundling

Social worker David Chen found a loving home for the foundling with a couple from Taichung.

同義詞
  • abandoned child

    more common in modern speech; less specific about being found by someone

  • waif

    suggests a thin, neglected street child; carries a more literary or pitying tone

文法句型

the + foundling (specific child)

a + foundling (any such child)

adjective + foundling (e.g. newborn foundling)

用法筆記

Primarily found in historical contexts, literature, or formal records; in everyday speech, 'abandoned baby' or 'abandoned child' is much more common. The word survives most often in proper names such as the Foundling Hospital in London.

常見錯誤

❌The orphan was left on the church steps by his mother.
✅The foundling was left on the church steps by his mother.
💡An 'orphan' has lost both parents through death, whereas a 'foundling' has been deliberately abandoned by living parents.