Meanings
nounfosterling (plural fosterlings)
plural fosterlings
- a foster child
'We know him indeed, this boy,' said Conall Cernach, 'and we know him none the worse that he is a fosterling of ours.
1904, Unknown, The Cattle-Raid of Cualnge (Tain Bo Cualnge)
Synonyms & antonyms
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Old Englishfōstorling
- Middle Englishfosterling
- Englishfosterling
From Middle English fosterling, from Old English fōstorling, equivalent to foster + -ling.
More words from Middle English, Old English
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
fosterling. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fosterling
MLA
“fosterling.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fosterling. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “fosterling,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fosterling.
Source: fosterling on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.