father (v.)

in the sense of "to beget a child" or "to carry out the childrearing functions of a father," this is the right word. When used pseudogenerically or metaphorically to refer to actions considered analogous to begetting, it is better replaced by terms such as procreate, create, co-create, reproduce, breed, propagate, give life to, bring to life, bring into being, bring about, call into existence, cause to exist; produce, make, found, author, originate, generate, engender, establish, invent, introduce. See also mother (v.).