progenitor
/pɹoʊˈd͡ʒɛn.ɪ.tɚ/ noun C2- A forefather, any of a person's direct ancestors.
- A person from whom one or more people (dynasty, tribe, nation…) are descended. · Abraham, alias Ibrahim, is the presumed progenitor of both the Jewish and Arab peoples.
- An ancestral form of a species.
- A predecessor of something, especially if also a precursor or model. · ARPANET was the progenitor of the Internet.· Are neural progenitor cells infected by Zika virus?
- Someone who originates something.
- A founder.
Plural progenitors
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