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.
Sabalenka has won two of her four Grand Slam singles titles in Melbourne and, given that pedigree, is the favourite to triumph again.
From BBC
None of those running this time have that political pedigree, or the Sacramento backgrounds of Newsom or Brown, which, Porter suggested, is not a bad thing.
From Los Angeles Times
Muchova had pedigree, bidding to make an eighth career Grand Slam quarter-final and she made life difficult after a slow start.
From Barron's
Being born in a country without tennis pedigree means there is usually a lack of financial support from their federation and fewer role models to follow into the game.
From BBC
Put simply, Eala is a monumental star in the south-east Asian country - a nation which has limited pedigree on the tennis circuit.
From BBC
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.
