pedigree
Americannoun
-
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.
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 background
the pedigree of an idea
Related Words
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.
Other Word Forms
- pedigreed adjective
- pedigreeless adjective
Etymology
Origin of pedigree
1375–1425; late Middle English pedegru, from 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
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.
But she wound up being just one of many with such a pedigree in his Cabinet, and she’s kept a low profile ever since.
From Salon • Mar. 22, 2026
Not because of his desert pedigree, but because he’ll be playing acoustic.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 2026
The 2026 competition had more than 200 pedigree breeds competing from March 5-8.
From BBC • Mar. 9, 2026
Khamenei’s son and successor, the Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, has neither his father’s experience nor Khomeini’s pedigree.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 9, 2026
Apparently, having a Capitol pedigree is as useless here as it was in 13.
From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins
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.
