Ancestor Definition

ănsĕstər

ancestors

noun

ancestors

Any person from whom one is descended, esp. one earlier in a family line than a grandparent; forefather; forebear.

Webster's New World

A forerunner or predecessor.

American Heritage

An early type of animal from which later kinds have evolved.

Webster's New World

The person from whom an estate has been inherited.

American Heritage

Anything regarded as a precursor or forerunner of a later thing.

Webster's New World

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

verb

To be an ancestor of.

Webster's New World

Other Word Forms of Ancestor

Singular:

ancestor

Plural:

ancestors

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 accusative antecessorem, from antecedo (“to go before”); ante (“before”) + cedo (“to go”). See cede, and compare with antecessor.

From Wiktionary
Middle English auncestre from Old French from Latin antecessor predecessor from antecessus past participle of antecēdere to precede ante- ante- cēdere to go ked- in Indo-European roots

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition