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.
On Wednesday, Heirloom and Climeworks received a notice the funding would continue, with an initial award of $50 million shared between both companies.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026
"Heirloom varieties... are able to adapt to climate change, to more severe water shortages, to extremes of cold and heat," said Mario Marino, from the climate change division of the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization.
From Barron's • Nov. 14, 2025
The Heirloom facility and many others run on 100% renewable energy, including wind and solar power, but experts say fusion and geothermal energy could be potential sources for such technology in the future.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2024
This latter method is offered by US company Heirloom Carbon Technologies, among others.
From Science Daily • Mar. 4, 2024
Heirloom pole beans once climbed over considerable competition while vigorously struggling for water, nutrition, and light.
From Gardening Without Irrigation: or without much, anyway by Solomon, Steve
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.
