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ancestor

[an-ses-ter, -suh-ster] / ˈæn sɛs tər, -sə stər /


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.

That work suggested the ancestor of crown snakes, meaning the group that gave rise to living snakes, may have been adapted for burrowing while also behaving opportunistically.

From Science Daily • Apr. 24, 2026

Humans, chimps and bonobos share a common ancestor going back 7 million years or so.

From Salon • Apr. 23, 2026

The hedge-born man conceived in a hookup under the hawthorn bushes in 17th-century Britain was the direct linguistic ancestor of today’s naked short-sellers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026

Lystrosaurus, a tough, plant-eating ancestor of mammals, became one of the dominant species after the End-Permian Mass Extinction around 252 million years ago.

From Science Daily • Apr. 14, 2026

This creature was the ancestor of all the giants, and it called itself Ymir.

From "Norse Mythology" by Neil Gaiman




Vocabulary lists containing ancestor