# foundling

> English word · Noun · frequency rank #58,704

## Definitions
1. An abandoned child, left by its parent(s), often a baby left at a convent or similar safe place.

## Etymology
From Middle English foundlyng, fondeyng, variants of Middle English fyndling, fyndlyng. By surface analysis, found + -ling.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/foundling