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Webster 1913 Edition


Father-in-law

Fa′ther-in-lawˊ

,
Noun.
;
pl.
Fathers-in-law
.
The father of one’s husband or wife; – correlative to son-in-law and daughter-in-law.
☞ A man who marries a woman having children already, is sometimes, though erroneously, called their father-in-law.

Webster 1828 Edition


Father-in-law

F'ATHER-IN-LAW

,
Noun.
The father of one's husband or wife; and a man who marries a woman who has children by a former husband is called the father in law or step-father of those children.

Definition 2024


father-in-law

father-in-law

See also: father in law

English

Noun

father-in-law (plural fathers-in-law or father-in-laws)

  1. One's spouse's father.
  2. (dated) A stepfather.
    1839, Charles Dickens, “IV”, in Nicholas Nickleby, ISBN 1-85326-264-1, page 41:
    `Yes,` replied Snawley. `The fact is, I am not their father, Mr Squeers. I'm only their father-in-law.`

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