progenitor
Americannoun
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a biologically related ancestor.
a progenitor of the species.
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a person or thing that first indicates a direction, originates something, or serves as a model; predecessor; precursor.
the progenitor of modern painting.
noun
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a direct ancestor
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an originator or founder of a future development; precursor
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of progenitor
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin prōgenitor the founder of a family. See pro- 1, genitor
Explanation
While any ancestor can be a progenitor, or previous member of a family line, the word is usually applied to someone who was an originator of or major contributor to the characteristics of that line. The word progenitor can be traced to the Latin prōgignere, which means "to beget," and so is linked to the beginning of a genealogical line. The clue comes in the "gen" part, meaning "birth, procreation," and signifying the genetic contribution of an ancestor to a family line. Prō- means "forward," and the -tor suffix indicates someone doing an action — so a progenitor is someone who gives rise to a family line.
Vocabulary lists containing progenitor
It's All in the Family
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We the People: Gen
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Silent Spring
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"Progenitor PC cells that were committed to expressing ERRγ, were destined to eventually become mature PCs," said Mills, a member of and co-associate director for cancer education at the Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center.
From Science Daily • May 10, 2024
The title of the research paper is "Epistatic Interactions between NMD and TRP53 Control Progenitor Cell Maintenance and Brain Size."
From Science Daily • May 1, 2024
Progenitor cells rarely become either neurons or glial cells; in fact, virtually every type of brain cell plummets.
From Science Daily • Oct. 26, 2023
The boy's private name for his father is the Progenitor, an impersonal though not inappropriate designation.
From Time Magazine Archive
Progenitor and posterity; as, 'Hear, O Israel!' i. e., descendants of Israel.
From The Verbalist A Manual Devoted to Brief Discussions of the Right and the Wrong Use of Words and to Some Other Matters of Interest to Those Who Would Speak and Write with Propriety. by Osmun, Thomas Embly
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
