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ancestor

/ˈæn.sɛs.tɚ/ noun A2
  1. 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.
  2. An earlier type; a progenitor. · This fossil animal is regarded as the ancestor of the horse.
  3. One from whom an estate has descended;—the correlative of heir.
  4. One who had the same role or function in former times. (figuratively)
  5. A word or phrase which serves as the origin of a term in another language.

Plural ancestors

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From the library

“All these monuments which you see,” said the Monkey, “are erected in honour of my ancestors, who were in their day freedmen and citizens of great renown.” The Fox replied, “You have chosen a most appropriate subject for your falsehoods, as I am sure none of your ancestors will be able to contradict you.”
Three Hundred Aesop's Fables, p. 69 · B2
“‘My ancestor, Sir Ralph Musgrave, was a prominent Cavalier and the right-hand man of Charles the Second in his wanderings,’ said my friend.
The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, p. 26 · B2
I have a theory that the individual represents in his development the whole procession of his ancestors, and that such a sudden turn to good or evil stands for some strong influence which came into the line of his pedigree.
The Return of Sherlock Holmes, p. 29 · C1
“No, they are the homes of our worthy ancestors.
The Hound of the Baskervilles, p. 83 · C1

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Words, meanings, pronunciations and translations from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0); how common each word is from wordfreq. Made into this dictionary by FluentPlex.