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View synonyms for

ancestor

[ an-ses-teror, especially British, -suh-ster ]

noun

  1. a person from whom one is descended; forebear; progenitor.
  2. Biology. the actual or hypothetical form or stock from which an organism has developed or descended.
  3. an object, idea, style, or occurrence serving as a prototype, forerunner, or inspiration to a later one:

    The balloon is an ancestor of the modern dirigible.

  4. a person who serves as an influence or model for another; one from whom mental, artistic, spiritual, etc., descent is claimed:

    a philosophical ancestor.

  5. Law. a person from whom an heir derives an inheritance.


ancestor

/ ˈæԲɛə /

noun

  1. often plural a person from whom another is directly descended, esp someone more distant than a grandparent; forefather
  2. an early type of animal or plant from which a later, usually dissimilar, type has evolved
  3. a person or thing regarded as a forerunner of a later person or thing

    the ancestor of the modern camera

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • ˈԳٰ, noun:feminine
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Word History and Origins

Origin of ancestor1

1250–1300; Middle English ancestre < Old French (with t developed between s and r ) < Latin antecessor antecessor
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Word History and Origins

Origin of ancestor1

C13: from Old French ancestre, from Late Latin Գٱŧǰ one who goes before, from Latin Գٱŧ; see antecede
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

A paleo diet is based on the idea that if we eat like our ancient ancestors, we'll be healthier and reduce our risk of certain diseases.

From

So I wanted to leave something for my grandchildren so that they would know me and their ancestors.

From

Torres and many other ranchers in California live where two very lofty and environmentally satisfying ideas collide: all natural, free-range ranching and the government-assisted return of a predator our ancestors hunted to near extinction.

From

Our ancestors have long created stories of beings that might dwell in the skies.

From

Many Indigenous peoples use the stars for orientation as their ancestors did, and the panorama of stars serves as a "library" of Indigenous knowledge.

From

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-anceancestor worship