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an·ces·tor

ancestor

 
 
pronunciation:
aen ses str [or] aen ss str
features:
Word Combinations (noun), Word History, Word Explorer
part of speech: noun
definition: a person from whom one is descended and who lived several generations ago.
Her ancestors came to America from China in the middle of the 1800s.
 
synonyms:
forefather
similar words:
father, parent, patriarch
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Word History
The word ancestor comes from a Latin word that means "to go before."
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