orphan

A person, especially a minor, both or (rarely) one of whose parents have died.

A person, especially a minor, whose parents have permanently abandoned them.

A young animal with no mother.

Anything that is unsupported, as by its source, provider or caretaker, by reason of the supporter's demise or decision to abandon.

A single line of type, beginning a paragraph, at the bottom of a column or page.

Any unreferenced object.

To deprive of parents (used almost exclusively in the passive)

“What do you do when you come across two orphaned polar bear cubs?”

To make unavailable, as by removing the last remaining pointer or reference to.

“Removing categories orphans pages from the main category tree.”

Deprived of parents (also orphaned).

“She is an orphan child.”

(by extension) Remaining after the removal of some form of support.

“With its government funding curtailed, the gun registry became an orphan program.”