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grandfather

[ gran-fah-ther, grand- ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

the father of one's father or mother.
a forefather.
the founder or originator of a family, species, type, etc.; the first of one's or its kind, or the one being longest in existence:
the grandfather of all steam locomotives.

verb (used with object)

to exempt (something or someone) from new legislation, restrictions, or requirements:
The law grandfathered all banks already operating at the time of passage. He was grandfathered into the pension plan.

grandfather

/ ˈɡrænd-; ˈɡrænˌfɑːðə /

noun

the father of one's father or mother
often plural a male ancestor
often capital a familiar term of address for an old man
dialect.
a caterpillar or woodlouse

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Word History and Origins

Origin of grandfather¹

late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; grand-, father

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

The BBC revealed detectives have also been reviewing the deaths of D'Wit's father and grandfather in case he had killed them and avoided detection.

From

We talked about my grandfather earlier in this interview.

From

A family has paid tribute to a "devoted and much-loved father, grandfather, brother and son" after he died in a crash in Aberdeenshire.

From

His grandfather, Nguyen Van Them, 73, said watching the celebrations on television helped his grandchildren understand what previous generations sacrificed for them.

From

His grandfather, Rod, also played, so they reminded him there was no reason to stop playing a game you love.

From

Related Words

grandfamily grandfather clause

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