ancestor

/ˈænˌsɛstər/
noun
  1. A person from whom one is descended, typically one who lived long ago; a forefather or foremother.
    • She researched her family tree and found ancestors dating back to the 17th century.
    • My ancestors came to this country from Ireland in the 1800s.
    • Many cultures honor their ancestors with special ceremonies and offerings.
  2. An earlier version or prototype of something, from which later forms develop.
    • Early steam engines were ancestors of today's powerful locomotives.
    • This ancient language is the ancestor of several modern European languages.
    • The abacus is an ancestor of the modern computer.
Antonyms
What does "ancestor" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean