grandfather

[gran-fah-ther, grand-]

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.

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

/ 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of grandfather¹

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

Example Sentences

“I had read about him and thought he was Jewish,” says Mayer, whose grandfather had recently died, leaving a hole in his life.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

In a sign of how small the town is, that driver was Still’s boyfriend’s grandfather.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

At the age of five, my grandfather arrived at Ellis Island on Nov. 24, 1949, Thanksgiving Day.

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But my direct experiences with caregiving — first for my grandfather with dementia, then for my wife through cancer — taught me how broken our society’s care infrastructure is.

Read more on MarketWatch

The court heard these included a man claiming he wanted photos for a "sentimental montage" for his grandfather, and a woman saying she was buying a nearby property and needed a drainage survey.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• ancestor 
• grandpa 
• patriarch