offspring

Definition

A person's daughter or son; a person's child.

Etymology

From Middle English ofspring, from Old English ofspring (“offspring, descendants, posterity”), equivalent to off- + spring. Compare Icelandic afspringur (“offspring”). More at off, spring.

Example Sentences

• "We are the offspring of Italian immigrants."
• "In plants, the ability to recognize self from nonself plays an important role in fertilization, because self-fertilization will result in less diverse offspring than fertilization with pollen from another individual."
• "Artists often treasure their works as their immortal offspring."