Ancestor Definition

ănsĕstər
ancestors
noun
ancestors
Any person from whom one is descended, esp. one earlier in a family line than a grandparent; forefather; forebear.
Webster's New World
A forerunner or predecessor.
American Heritage
An early type of animal from which later kinds have evolved.
Webster's New World
The person from whom an estate has been inherited.
American Heritage
Anything regarded as a precursor or forerunner of a later thing.
Webster's New World
Antonyms:
verb
To be an ancestor of.
Webster's New World

Other Word Forms of Ancestor

Noun

Singular:
ancestor
Plural:
ancestors

Origin of Ancestor

  • Middle English ancestre, auncestre, ancessour; the first forms from Old French ancestre (modern French ancêtre), from the Latin nominative antecessor one who goes before; the last form from Old French ancessor, from Latin accusative antecessorem, from antecedo (“to go before”); ante (“before”) + cedo (“to go”). See cede, and compare with antecessor.

    From Wiktionary

  • Middle English auncestre from Old French from Latin antecessor predecessor from antecessus past participle of antecēdere to precede ante- ante- cēdere to go ked- in Indo-European roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

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