ancestor

== English == === Alternative forms === ancestour (obsolete) auncestor (obsolete) auncestour (obsolete) === Etymology === From 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 antecessōrem, accusative of antecessor, from antecēdō (“to go before”) +‎ -tor (“-er”), from ante- (“before”) +‎ cēdō (“to go”). See cede, and compare with antecessor. === Pronunciation === (General American) IPA(key): /ˈæn.sɛs.tɚ/ (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈæn.sɛs.tə/ Hyphenation: an‧ces‧tor === Noun === ancestor (plural ancestors) One from whom a person is descended, whether on the father's or mother's side, at any distance of time; a progenitor; a forefather; a forebear. An earlier type; a progenitor (law) One from whom an estate has descended;—the correlative of heir. (figuratively) One who had the same role or function in former times. (linguistics) A word or phrase which serves as the origin of a term in another language. ==== Usage notes ==== There is a rare feminine form ancestress ==== Synonyms ==== (person from whom one is descended): forebear, fore-elder, forefather (previous fulfiller of a role or duty): predecessor (originating word): reflex, source, origin ==== Antonyms ==== descendant afterbear ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === Verb === ancestor (third-person singular simple present ancestors, present participle ancestoring, simple past and past participle ancestored) (transitive) To be an ancestor of. === Anagrams === sortance, Screaton, Canteros, Careston, enactors, carstone, Castrone, Conatser, Rostance, sarconet, entosarc