grandfather

American  

[gran-fah-ther, grand-] / ˈgrænˌfɑ ðər, ˈgrænd- /

noun

1. the father of one's father or mother.

2. a forefather.

3. the founder or originator of a family, species, type, etc.; the first of one's or its kind, or the one being longest in existence.

   the grandfather of all steam locomotives.

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verb (used with object)

1. to exempt (something or someone) from new legislation, restrictions, or requirements.

   The law grandfathered all banks already operating at the time of passage. He was grandfathered into the pension plan.

grandfather British  

/ ˈɡrænd-, ˈɡrænˌfɑːðə /

noun

1. the father of one's father or mother

2. (often plural) a male ancestor

3. (often capital) a familiar term of address for an old man

4. dialect  a caterpillar or woodlouse

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Etymology

Origin of grandfather

late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; grand-, father

Example Sentences

In 1954, at the age of 16, my dad was living with my grandfather in the Bronx when he was diagnosed with Hansen’s Disease, the preferred designation for leprosy.

From Salon

Ms. Ypi tells us that the two had been close enough for her grandfather to once offer to settle the penniless Hoxha’s debts with his Parisian landlady.

From The Wall Street Journal

But the Tottenham man - whose family boasts a fascinating history, with both his father and grandfather serving in the Zairean army - showed his fighting spirit and settled into the contest.

From BBC

Set in a dour factory, “Metropolis” is “the grandfather of all ‘beat the worker down with monotonous, repetitive labor, totally unrecognized by management’ movies,” says Mankiewicz of TCM.

From The Wall Street Journal

Her grandfather’s fishing lures were among her prized possessions, he said.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• ancestor
• grandpa
• patriarch