A to Z Challenge - O for Orphan

Theme - Journalism jargons

When the last line of a paragraph has just one word or the latter part of a hyphenated word, then that word is called an orphan.

From the aesthetic point of view, many journalists and designers tend to avoid it since one single word in an entire line looks odd. So usually a couple of words are added to preceding lines so that a few more words will come on to the last line.

The word 'son'
is an orphan

In the example on the right from today's Delhi edition of Hindustan Times, the word 'son' will qualify to be called an orphan.

The word 'Himalayas', which is also one single word at the end of the paragraph, though theoretically can be called an orphan, doesn't look as bad as the word 'son'.

However, there are some people who look an orphan from another point of view. They say the increased white space in the last line left by an orphan gives relief from the grey text.

After all, beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder, right?