Meanings
plural foundlings
- An abandoned child, left by its parent(s), often a baby left at a convent or similar safe place.
foundling hospital
3 more examples
In foundling hospitals, and among the children brought up by parish charities, the mortality is still greater than among those of the common people.
1776, Adam Smith, An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of NationsMoses was a foundling; Jesus Christ was born in a stable; and Mahomet was a mule driver.
1794, Thomas Paine, The Age of Reason (Part I)[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⋯
1960 June 13, Walt Kelly, “The Confoundling”, in Pogo, comic strip, published 1974, →ISBN, page 342
Synonyms & antonyms
nouna child who has been abandoned and whose parents are unknown
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Middle Englishfyndling
- Middle Englishfoundlyng
- Englishfoundling
From Middle English foundlyng, fondeyng, variants of Middle English fyndling, fyndlyng. By surface analysis, found + -ling.
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic لَقِيط, مَلْقُوط
- لَقِيط (laqīṭ)abandoned child, left by its parent
- مَلْقُوط (malqūṭ)abandoned child, left by its parent
Bulgarian подхвърлено дете
- подхвърлено дете (podhvărleno dete)abandoned child, left by its parent
Czech nalezenec
- nalezenecabandoned child, left by its parent
Danish hittebarn
- hittebarnabandoned child, left by its parent
Dutch vondeling
- vondelingabandoned child, left by its parent
Finnish löytölapsi
- löytölapsiabandoned child, left by its parent
French enfant trouvé
- enfant trouvéabandoned child, left by its parent
German Findelkind
- Findelkindabandoned child, left by its parent
Greek έκθετο
- έκθετο (éktheto)abandoned child, left by its parent
Hungarian lelenc, talált gyermek
- lelencabandoned child, left by its parent
- talált gyermekabandoned child, left by its parent
Italian trovatello
- trovatelloabandoned child, left by its parent
Polish znajda
- znajdaabandoned child, left by its parent
Portuguese exposto, abandonado
- expostoabandoned child, left by its parent
- abandonadoabandoned child, left by its parent
- enjeitadoabandoned child, left by its parent
Russian найдёныш, подки́дыш
- найдёныш (najdjónyš)abandoned child, left by its parent
- подки́дыш (podkídyš)abandoned child, left by its parent
Slovak nájdenec
- nájdenecabandoned child, left by its parent
Spanish expósito
- expósitoabandoned child, left by its parent
Swedish hittebarn
- hittebarnabandoned child, left by its parent
Ukrainian знaйдa
- знaйдa (znajda)abandoned child, left by its parent
Vietnamese trẻ em bị bỏ rơi
- trẻ em bị bỏ rơiabandoned child, left by its parent
Welsh plentyn cael
- plentyn caelabandoned child, left by its parent
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
foundling. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/foundling
“foundling.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/foundling. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “foundling,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/foundling.
Source: foundling on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.