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Ancestor vs Grandfather - What's the difference?

ancestor | grandfather |

As nouns the difference between ancestor and grandfather

is that ancestor is one from whom a person is descended, whether on the father's or mother's side, at any distance of time; a progenitor; a forefather while grandfather is a father of someone’s parent.

As a verb grandfather is

to retain existing laws or rules only for those people or organisations that were previously affected by them, and apply new laws or rules to the unaffected people or organizations.

ancestor

English

Alternative forms

* ancestour (obsolete) * auncestor (obsolete) * auncestour (obsolete)

Noun

(en noun)
  • One from whom a person is descended, whether on the father's or mother's side, at any distance of time; a progenitor; a forefather.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-07-20, volume=408, issue=8845, magazine=(The Economist)
    • , title= Old soldiers? , passage=Whether modern, industrial man is less or more warlike than his hunter-gatherer ancestors is impossible to determine. The machine gun is so much more lethal than the bow and arrow that comparisons are meaningless.}}
  • An earlier type; a progenitor
  • (legal) One from whom an estate has descended;—the correlative of heir.
  • (figuratively) One who had the same role or function in former times.
  • * {{quote-news, year=2011, date=October 1, author=Saj Chowdhury, work=BBC Sport
    • , title= Wolverhampton 1-2 Newcastle , passage=The Magpies are unbeaten and enjoying their best run since 1994, although few would have thought the class of 2011 would come close to emulating their ancestors .}}

    Usage notes

    * There is a rare feminine form ancestress

    Derived terms

    * cenancestor

    Antonyms

    * descendant

    Anagrams

    *

    grandfather

    English

    Etymology 1

    (wikipedia grandfather)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A father of someone’s parent.
  • (by extension) A male forefather.
    • Synonyms
    * granddad, grandad, grandaddy * grandsire * grandpa, granpa, grandpappy, granpappy, gramps * eldfather/elderfather * pops
    Antonyms
    * (with regard to gender) grandmother * (with regard to ancestry) grandson, granddaughter, grandchild
    Hyponyms
    * paternal grandfather * maternal grandfather
    Hypernyms
    * grandparent
    Derived terms
    * grandfather clock * grandfather clause * great grandfather, great-grandfather

    Etymology 2

    From (m). See etymology 1 and (m).

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To retain existing laws or rules only for those people or organisations that were previously affected by them, and apply new laws or rules to the unaffected people or organizations.
    • Derived terms
    * (l) 1000 English basic words