alloparent

English

Etymology

From allo- +‎ parent.

Noun

alloparent (plural alloparents)

1. (biology, sociology) An adult animal or person involved in parent-like behaviour towards an individual that is not his or her offspring. [from 20th c.]
   • 2011, Chris Stringer, The Origin of Our Species, Penguin 2012, p. 142:

     And Hrdy further suggests that the immersion of human babies in a pool of alloparents would have honed the mind-reading skills and empathy that are so important to our species, faster than anything else.

Related terms

• alloparenting