ancestor
ancestor
an∙ces∙tor / ˈænsɛstə ; ˈænsəstə /
◙noun [C]
1. a member of your family who lived a long time ago
• 祖先，祖宗;
--› descendant :
»My ancestors were French.
我的祖先是法国人。
2. an animal that lived in the past, that modern animals have developed from
• 〔动物的〕原种，祖先:
»Lions and house cats evolved froma common ancestor(=the same ancestor) .
狮子和家猫从共同的原种进化而来。
3. the form in which a modern machine, vehicle etc first existed
• 〔现代机器、车辆等的〕原型:
▪ [+of]
»Babbage's invention was the ancestor of the modern computer.
巴比奇的发明是现代计算机的原型。
♦ancestral / ænˈsɛstrəl ; ænˈsestrəl / adj:
»the family's ancestral home
这个家族的祖居
