offspring

/ˈɒfsprɪŋ/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈɔːfsprɪŋ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈȯf-ˌspriŋ/ (ame, mw)

offspring — noun

1. the babies or younger generation born to a particular animal — for example, lion

1.名詞C2
釋義

the babies or younger generation born to a particular animal — for example, lion cubs, deer fawns, or the chicks that hatch from a bird's eggs.

例句

The female panda fiercely protects her offspring from any danger in the bamboo forest.

possessive + offspring as direct object

Salmon swim back to the same river where they were born to produce their offspring.

produce + offspring collocation

同義詞
  • young

    everyday word for the same idea; 'the young of the species' is standard biology phrasing

  • progeny

    very formal, often academic or legal; covers people too

  • brood

    specifically a group of young animals born or hatched at one time, especially birds

反義詞
  • parent

    the adult that produces the offspring

文法句型

the offspring of [animal]

[animal]'s offspring

用法筆記

Plural form is identical to singular: 'one offspring' and 'four offspring' are both correct; 'offsprings' is non-standard. Subject of the possessive is normally an animal, plant, or named species.

常見錯誤

❌The cat had three offsprings last spring.
✅The cat had three offspring last spring.
💡'offspring' has the same form for singular and plural; never add -s.
❌Whale offspring is born underwater.
✅Whale offspring are born underwater.
💡when 'offspring' refers to more than one, use plural agreement.

2. the son or daughter, or sons and daughters together, that a person has — used in

2.名詞C2
釋義

the son or daughter, or sons and daughters together, that a person has — used in formal writing, in legal contexts, or sometimes in a joking way to refer to one's own children.

例句

The wealthy couple left most of their fortune to their three offspring.

formal register: legal or financial context

Mrs. Davies likes to introduce her offspring as future doctors and lawyers.

humorous use among parents

同義詞
  • children

    the neutral everyday word; 'offspring' is the formal alternative

  • descendants

    covers grandchildren and later generations too, not just direct sons and daughters

  • issue

    very formal, mainly legal — as in 'died without issue'

反義詞
  • parents

    the mother and father from whom the offspring come

  • ancestors

    the earlier generations one is descended from

文法句型

someone's offspring

the offspring of [person/couple]

用法筆記

More formal than 'children'; common in newspapers, legal documents, and academic prose. Distinguish from sense 1 by the parent: when the parent is a human or named couple, this sense applies, even if the writing tone is humorous.

常見錯誤

❌My offspring is going to kindergarten next week.
✅My child is starting kindergarten next week.
💡'offspring' sounds odd in casual everyday speech about your own kid; use 'child' or 'son/daughter'.
❌They have two offsprings.
✅They have two offspring.
💡no plural -s, even when referring to several children.

3. something that has come out of an earlier idea, project, or situation, treated a

3.名詞C2
釋義

something that has come out of an earlier idea, project, or situation, treated as if it were the 'child' of that source — for example, a new app born out of a research lab, or a band that grew out of an older one.

例句

This noodle shop is the offspring of a small kitchen experiment Mei started during the pandemic.

X is the offspring of Y pattern (figurative)

Modern jazz can be seen as the direct offspring of African rhythms and European harmony.

offspring of two combined sources

同義詞
  • product

    neutral and very common; lacks the family-tree image

  • result

    broader and plainer; emphasises outcome rather than birth from a source

  • spin-off

    specifically something that grows out of a bigger project, often in business or TV

反義詞
  • source

    the original idea or project that the offspring grew out of

  • origin

    the starting point, opposite of what comes after

文法句型

[X] is the offspring of [Y]

the offspring of [process/idea]

用法筆記

Always figurative; the 'parent' is an idea, project, era, or earlier work. Distinguish from senses 1 and 2 by the type of parent: if the source is not a living being, this sense applies. Often used to highlight a clear cause-and-effect link between something new and its origin.

常見錯誤

❌The website is the offspring from our last project.
✅The website is the offspring of our last project.
💡the figurative pattern uses 'offspring of', not 'offspring from'.
❌The film is an offspring to the original novel.
✅The film is an offspring of the original novel.
💡preposition is always 'of' in this figurative use.