How is an "orphan" defined in the context of text design?

In the context of text design, an "orphan" refers specifically to a word or line of text that appears alone at the bottom of a paragraph. This phenomenon occurs when a single word or short line is left hanging at the end of a paragraph, and it can disrupt the visual flow of a piece of text, making it appear unbalanced or poorly formatted. Good typographic practices aim to avoid orphans in order to create a more visually appealing and cohesive look in written materials.

The focus on maintaining good typography also helps improve readability, as it organizes the text in a way that makes it easier for readers to follow along. In contrast, the other choices do not relate to the specific definition of an orphan in typographic terms. A single word at the beginning of a paragraph can simply be part of standard paragraph structure, while type of font style and overall layout concepts pertain to broader design principles rather than the specific issue of text isolation presented by an orphan.