First Known Use: 13th century
Dictionary
ancestor
noun an·ces·tor \ˈan-ˌses-tər also -səs-\
: a person who was in someone's family in past times : one of the people from whom a person is descended
: an animal in the past from which a modern animal developed
: something in the past from which something else has developed
Full Definition of ANCESTOR
1
a : one from whom a person is descended and who is usually more remote in the line of descent than a grandparent b : forefather 2
2
3
: a progenitor of a more recent or existing species or group
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Origin of ANCESTOR
Middle English ancestre, from Anglo-French, from Latin antecessor predecessor, from antecedere to go before, from ante- + cedere to go
Related to ANCESTOR
- Synonyms
- father, forebear (also forbear), forebearer, forefather, grandfather, primogenitor, progenitor
- Antonyms
- descendant (also descendent)
Other Biology Terms
Rhymes with ANCESTOR
ANCESTOR Defined for Kids
ancestor
noun an·ces·tor \ˈan-ˌse-stər\
Definition of ANCESTOR for Kids
1
: a person from whom someone is descended
2
: something from which something else develops
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