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ancestor

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


Example Sentences

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I teach my students about Didion’s ancestor, Nancy Hardin Cornwall, who trekked westward with the Donner-Reed party in 1846.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026

Early in the 20th century, researchers assumed lizards inherited osteoderms from a common ancestor.

From Science Daily • May 21, 2026

Millions of years later, this ancestor became more active again and returned to a swimming lifestyle.

From Science Daily • Apr. 27, 2026

Again the reigning successor to George III will be obliged to say nice words about the men his ancestor would gladly have hanged from the nearest tree.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 2026

Every Roman family had a Lar, who was the spirit of an ancestor, and several Penates, gods of the hearth and guardians of the storehouse.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton




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