ancestor; forefather
Meanings
2 senses · 10 examplesnoun
ancestor; forefather; forebear
Refers to distant ancestors of a family, clan, or nation, not immediate parents.
We must forever remember our ancestors.
My ancestors immigrated here from Fujian three hundred years ago.
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Qingming Festival is a traditional holiday for Chinese people to worship their ancestors.
The ancestors of this ethnic group once lived on the vast grasslands.
The ancestral hall houses the spirit tablets of the family ancestors.
noun
ancestor (in biology); ancient organism from which modern species evolved
Used in biological and evolutionary contexts to refer to extinct species that gave rise to modern life forms.
Archaeopteryx is one of the ancestors of birds.
Scientists believe this ancient ape is the common ancestor of humanity.
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The ancestor of modern horses was very small, only about the size of a dog.
Through fossil records, we can study the ancestors of organisms.
The ancestor of this plant may have grown in tropical regions.