pedigree
[ ped-i-gree ]
/ ˈpɛd ɪˌgri /
noun
an ancestral line; line of descent; lineage; ancestry.
a genealogical table, chart, list, or record, especially of a purebred animal.
distinguished, excellent, or pure ancestry.
derivation, origin, or history: the pedigree of a word.
RELATED CONTENT
RELATED WORDS
lineage, thoroughbred, origin, clan, family, race, descent, genealogy, breed, extraction, heredity, derivation, blood, line, stock, full-blooded, pedigreed, stirps
Nearby words
pediculosis, pediculous, pediculus, pedicure, pediform, pedigree, pedigree analysis, pedigreed, pediment, pedimental, pedimented
Origin of pedigree
1375–1425; late Middle English pedegru < Anglo-French, equivalent to Middle French pie de grue literally, foot of crane, a fanciful way of describing the appearance of the lines of a genealogical chart
SYNONYMS FOR pedigree
2 Pedigree, genealogy refer to an account of ancestry. A pedigree is a table or chart recording a line of ancestors, either of persons or (more especially) of animals, as horses, cattle, and dogs; in the case of animals, such a table is used as proof of superior qualities: a detailed pedigree. A genealogy is an account of the descent of a person or family traced through a series of generations, usually from the first known ancestor: a genealogy that includes a king.
Related forms
ped·i·gree·less, adjectiveDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for pedigree
British Dictionary definitions for pedigree
pedigree
/ (ˈpɛdɪˌɡriː) /
noun
- the line of descent of a purebred animal
- (as modifier)a pedigree bull
a document recording this
a genealogical table, esp one indicating pure ancestry
derivation or backgroundthe pedigree of an idea
Derived Forms
pedigreed, adjectiveWord Origin for pedigree
C15: from Old French pie de grue crane's foot, alluding to the spreading lines used in a genealogical chart
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Medicine definitions for pedigree
pedigree
[ pĕd′ĭ-grē′ ]
n.
An ancestral line of descent, especially as diagrammed on a chart, to show ancestral history and to analyze Mendelian inheritance of certain traits including familial diseases.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.