What does “for” mean in “want a clown for a dad”?

Question

I’m watching Modern Family, and it’s the conversation of Cam and Mitchell

Mitchell: We need somebody to pump some life back into this party.

Cam: I got this. I'll go in and turn on some music, bring out the cupcakes, pump up the bubble machine. Or Is that a roundabout way of saying a certain clown can come to the party?

Mitchell: I was wrong. Every kid wants a clown for a dad.

So Cam wanted to play as a clown for his daughter but Mitchel didn’t want, and then he changed his mind.

Here, “every kid wants a clown for a dad”, what does “for” mean? If possible, could you give me the definition from a dictionary?

Thank you.

Answer 1

The word "for" has many meanings in English- "for" and "of" are perhaps two of the most overused and abused words, so it is understandable to have some confusion. Out of the several defintions and sub-definitions given at Merriam-Webster, I think we want 2a here:

2a : as being or constituting
// taken for a fool //eggs for breakfast

There are many things a kid would want his father to be, or qualities he would want his father to have. A father who is a clown or who can act like a clown when appropriate, is a nice kind of father to have.

Answer 2

for there means "serving in the role of".

He's using a coffee mug for a wine glass.

The office provided him a table for a desk.

So, to "have a clown for a dad" means "a clown serving in the role of dad".