heirloom
Americannoun
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a family possession handed down from generation to generation.
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Law. property neither personal nor real that descends to the heir of an estate as part of the real property.
adjective
noun
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an object that has been in a family for generations
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property law a chattel inherited by special custom or in accordance with the terms of a will
Etymology
Origin of heirloom
First recorded in 1375–1425, heirloom is from the late Middle English word heirlome. See heir, loom 1
Explanation
An heirloom is something passed down in a family for generations. Your grandma's prized necklace could be an heirloom. If you know that an heir is a younger person in a family who will inherit things when relatives die, you have a clue to the meaning of heirloom. An heirloom is a special thing that's handed down, sometimes through a will, but often just from person to person. A portrait of an ancestor could be an heirloom. Many families pass down heirloom jewelry. If you hear someone say, "This belonged to my great-great-grandfather" they're probably talking about an heirloom.
Vocabulary lists containing heirloom
The Crossover
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Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
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Lesson 5
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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.
He grows about 60 different crops, including herbs such as rosemary and thyme, heirloom tomatoes and cucumbers, and pick-your-own strawberries and flowers.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 2, 2026
As for the tchotchkes, they ran the gamut from tacky souvenir to sentimental heirloom.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026
We never had a family heirloom type of piece; my mother didn’t pass me down any, my grandmother didn’t have any.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 13, 2026
"We hope that whoever is lucky enough to win one of the stockings at auction will pass it down as a family heirloom to be treasured for decades to come," she added.
From BBC • Dec. 1, 2025
He rarely says anything other than "Good job, Chantal," but I'm always aware of his eyes on my technique as I drive the Larsen family heirloom.
From "You Bring the Distant Near" by Mitali Perkins
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.
