pedigree

[ ped-i-gree ]

/ ˈpɛd ɪˌgri /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR pedigree ON THESAURUS.COM

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.

Nearby words

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.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR pedigree ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formsped·i·gree·less, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for pedigree

The last play with this pedigree was Matilda, still going strong a year and a half later.
Fall Broadway Preview: 'This Is Our Youth,' Bradley Cooper as ‘The Elephant Man,' and More|Janice Kaplan|September 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
His pedigree is top-notch, but his political experience still green.
Figure Skater Michelle Kwan Chases Gold in Rhode Island’s Gubernatorial Race|Nicholas McCarvel|April 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Unlike hoity-toity displays of pedigree fluff, the Average Joe Cat Show is a celebration of middling felines.
The Cat's Meow: Top 10 Destinations for Feline Fanatics|Lonely Planet|December 20, 2013|DAILY BEAST
In his early career, Xi also had worked for a former defense minister, and his pedigree gives him close ties to the brass.
Xi Jinping and the Princelings Take Power in China|Melinda Liu|November 15, 2012|DAILY BEAST

Name: David Siegel Age: 78 Pedigree: Founder of Westgate, a large time-share business.
Jack Welch, Rupert Murdoch & More Angry Old Rich Guys Who Hate Obama|Daniel Gross|October 11, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Genealogies.-There is a "distinction and a difference" between a genealogy and a pedigree.
An Illustrated History of Ireland from AD 400 to 1800|Mary Frances Cusack
They sold me the ticket as readily as if it were for the steerage and did not ask for my pedigree, only for my check.
On the Trail of The Immigrant|Edward A. Steiner
Finally it was proposed that the distribution of wheat should be deferred until every man had proved his pedigree.
Little Journeys to the Homes of the Great, Volume 7|Elbert Hubbard
Pedigree iz not important for a fast-trotten' hoss; if he kan trot fast, never mind the pedigree.
The American Joe Miller|Various
She has bought a Peerage, and knows the pedigree of the whole Kew family.
The Newcomes|William Makepeace Thackeray

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 Formspedigreed, adjective

Word 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

Word Origin and History for pedigree

pedigree

early 15c., "genealogical table or chart," from Anglo-French pe de gru, a variant of Old French pied de gru "foot of a crane," from Latin pedem accusative of pes "foot" (see foot (n.)) + gruem (nominative grus) "crane," cognate with Greek geranos, Old English cran; see crane (n.)).

On old manuscripts, "descent" was indicated by a forked sign resembling the branching lines of a genealogical chart; the sign also happened to look like a bird's footprint. Form influenced in Middle English by association with degree. Meaning "ancestral line" is mid-15c.; of animals, c.1600. Related: Pedigreed.

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.