An archaic term for a stepfather or a man who acts as a father figure, possibly with negative or dismissive connotations.
From Old English or Middle English combining 'bel-' (possibly a variant of 'be-' or from 'bale' meaning misfortune) with 'father.' The 'bel-' prefix may have implied something questionable or inferior about the paternal relationship.
Medieval English had lots of specific words for family relationships that sound strange now—'belfather' suggests their language was more precise about blended or complicated family situations than we often realize!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.