Ancestor definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary

ancestor in American English · 1. any person from whom one is descended, esp. one earlier in a family line than a grandparent; forefather; forebear · 2. an early ... EnglishDictionary Thesaurus WordLists Grammar EnglishEasyLearningGrammar GrammarPatterns EnglishUsage TeachingResources VideoGuides Conjugations Sentences Quiz Englishgrammar Englishcollocations Englishconfusables Englishidioms Englishusage Thematicwordlists English French German Italian Spanish Portuguese Hindi Chinese Korean Japanese Definitionof 'ancestor'    WordFrequency Share× Credits× ancestor (ænsestəʳ ) Wordforms:pluralancestors 1. countablenoun[usuallyplural,withposs] Yourancestorsarethepeoplefromwhomyouaredescended. ...ourdailylives,sodifferentfromthoseofourancestors. Hecouldtracehisancestorsbacksevenhundredyears. Synonyms:forefather,predecessor,precursor,forerunner MoreSynonymsofancestor 2. countablenoun Anancestorofsomethingmodernisanearlierthingfromwhichitdeveloped. ThedirectancestorofthemoderncatwastheKaffircatofancientEgypt.[+of] Theimmediateancestorofrock'n'rollisrhythm-and-blues. Synonyms:forerunner,predecessor,prototype,precursor MoreSynonymsofancestor COBUILDAdvancedEnglishDictionary.Copyright©HarperCollinsPublishers Video:pronunciationof ancestor Youmayalsolike EnglishQuizConfusables Synonymsof'ancestor' LanguageLover'sBlog FrenchTranslationof'ancestor' Translateyourtext PronunciationPlaylists Wordoftheday:'odonatology' HindiTranslationof'ancestor' NEWfromCollins! EnglishGrammar CollinsApps WordFrequency ancestorinBritishEnglish (ˈænsɛstə ) noun1. (oftenplural) apersonfromwhomanotherisdirectlydescended,espsomeonemoredistantthanagrandparent;forefather 2. anearlytypeofanimalorplantfromwhichalater,usuallydissimilar,typehasevolved 3. apersonorthingregardedasaforerunnerofalaterpersonorthing theancestorofthemoderncamera CollinsEnglishDictionary.Copyright©HarperCollinsPublishers Derivedformsancestress(ˈancestress)femininenoun WordoriginC13:fromOldFrenchancestre,fromLateLatinantecēssoronewhogoesbefore,fromLatinantecēdere;seeantecede WordFrequency ancestorinAmericanEnglish (ˈænˌsɛstər ;also,ˈænsəstər ;ˈænsɪstər ) noun1.  anypersonfromwhomoneisdescended,esp.oneearlierinafamilylinethanagrandparent; forefather;forebear 2.  anearlytypeofanimalfromwhichlaterkindshaveevolved 3.  anythingregardedasaprecursororforerunnerofalaterthing 4. Law thedeceasedpersonfromwhomanestatehasbeeninherited verbtransitive5.  tobeanancestorof Webster’sNewWorldCollegeDictionary,4thEdition.Copyright©2010by HoughtonMifflinHarcourt.Allrightsreserved. WordoriginME&OFrancestre