ancestor

The definition of an ancestor is a person or creature from whom one is descended or who lived in the past, or a person who came before.

(noun)

Your great great-grandfather is an example of an ancestor.
King David and King Solomon are each an example of an ancestor of Jesus.
The Middle Eastern wildcat is an example of an ancestor of the modern house cat.

See ancestor in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun

any person from whom one is descended, esp. one earlier in a family line than a grandparent; forefather; forebear
an early type of animal from which later kinds have evolved
anything regarded as a precursor or forerunner of a later thing
Law the deceased person from whom an estate has been inherited

Origin: ME & OFr ancestre < L antecessor, one who goes before < pp. of antecedere < ante-, before + cedere, to go

transitive verb

to be an ancestor of

See ancestor in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun

A person from whom one is descended, especially if more remote than a grandparent; a forebear.
A forerunner or predecessor.
Law The person from whom an estate has been inherited.
Biology The actual or hypothetical organism or stock from which later kinds evolved.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English auncestre

Origin: , from Old French

Origin: , from Latin antecessor, predecessor

Origin: , from antecessus

Origin: , past participle of antecēdere, to precede

Origin: : ante-, ante-

Origin: + cēdere, to go; see ked- in Indo-European roots

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ancestor synonyms

ancestor legal definition

ancestor in a sentence