father of the faithful

Father \Fa"ther\ (f[aum]"[th][~e]r), n. [OE. fader, AS.
   f[ae]der; akin to OS. fadar, D. vader, OHG. fatar, G. vater,
   Icel. fa[eth]ir Sw. & Dan. fader, OIr. athir, L. pater, Gr.
   path`r, Skr. pitr, perh. fr. Skr. p[=a] protect. [root]75,
   247. Cf. {Papa}, {Paternal}, {Patriot}, {Potential},
   {Pablum}.]
   1. One who has begotten a child, whether son or daughter; a
      generator; a male parent.
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            A wise son maketh a glad father.      --Prov. x. 1.
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   2. A male ancestor more remote than a parent; a progenitor;
      especially, a first ancestor; a founder of a race or
      family; -- in the plural, fathers, ancestors.
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            David slept with his fathers.         --1 Kings ii.
                                                  10.
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            Abraham, who is the father of us all. --Rom. iv. 16.
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   3. One who performs the offices of a parent by maintenance,
      affetionate care, counsel, or protection.
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            I was a father to the poor.           --Job xxix.
                                                  16.
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            He hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all
            his house.                            --Gen. xiv. 8.
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   4. A respectful mode of address to an old man.
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            And Joash the king of Israel came down unto him
            [Elisha], . . . and said, O my father, my father!
                                                  --2 Kings
                                                  xiii. 14.
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   5. A senator of ancient Rome.
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   6. A dignitary of the church, a superior of a convent, a
      confessor (called also {father confessor}), or a priest;
      also, the eldest member of a profession, or of a
      legislative assembly, etc.
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            Bless you, good father friar !        --Shak.
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   7. One of the chief ecclesiastical authorities of the first
      centuries after Christ; -- often spoken of collectively as
      the Fathers; as, the Latin, Greek, or apostolic Fathers.
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   8. One who, or that which, gives origin; an originator; a
      producer, author, or contriver; the first to practice any
      art, profession, or occupation; a distinguished example or
      teacher.
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            The father of all such as handle the harp and organ.
                                                  --Gen. iv. 21.
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            Might be the father, Harry, to that thought. --Shak.
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            The father of good news.              --Shak.
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   9. The Supreme Being and Creator; God; in theology, the first
      person in the Trinity.
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            Our Father, which art in heaven.      --Matt. vi. 9.
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            Now had the almighty Father from above . . .
            Bent down his eye.                    --Milton.
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   {Adoptive father}, one who adopts the child of another,
      treating it as his own.

   {Apostolic father}, {Conscript fathers, etc.} See under
      {Apostolic}, {Conscript}, etc.

   {Father in God}, a title given to bishops.

   {Father of lies}, the Devil.

   {Father of the bar}, the oldest practitioner at the bar.

   {Fathers of the city}, the aldermen.

   {Father of the Faithful}.
      (a) Abraham. --Rom. iv. --Gal. iii. 6-9.
      (b) Mohammed, or one of the sultans, his successors.

   {Father of the house}, the member of a legislative body who
      has had the longest continuous service.

   {Most Reverend Father in God}, a title given to archbishops
      and metropolitans, as to the archbishops of Canterbury and
      York.

   {Natural father}, the father of an illegitimate child.

   {Putative father}, one who is presumed to be the father of an
      illegitimate child; the supposed father.

   {Spiritual father}.
      (a) A religious teacher or guide, esp. one instrumental in
          leading a soul to God.
      (b) (R. C. Ch.) A priest who hears confession in the
          sacrament of penance.

   {The Holy Father} (R. C. Ch.), the pope.
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