stepbairn

English

Alternative forms

• stepbarn (Northern England)

Etymology

From Middle English stepbarn (“orphan”), from Old English stēopbearn (“orphan”), from Proto-West Germanic *steupabarn, from Proto-Germanic *steupabarną (“stepchild”), equivalent to step- +‎ bairn. Cognate with Old High German stiofbarn (“stepchild”), Norwegian stebarn (“stepchild”) Danish stedbarn (“stepchild”), Swedish styvbarn (“stepchild”), Icelandic stjúpbarn (“stepchild”).

Noun

stepbairn (plural stepbairns)

1. (UK dialectal, chiefly Scotland) A stepchild.

Anagrams

• breastpin