grandfather

[gran-fah-ther, grand-]

noun

1. the father of one's father or mother.

2. a forefather.

3. the founder or originator of a family, species, type, etc.; the first of one's or its kind, or the one being longest in existence.

   the grandfather of all steam locomotives.

verb (used with object)

1. to exempt (something or someone) from new legislation, restrictions, or requirements.

   The law grandfathered all banks already operating at the time of passage. He was grandfathered into the pension plan.

grandfather

/ ˈɡrænd-, ˈɡrænˌfɑːðə /

noun

1. the father of one's father or mother

2. (often plural) a male ancestor

3. (often capital) a familiar term of address for an old man

4. dialect,  a caterpillar or woodlouse

Word History and Origins

Origin of grandfather¹

late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; grand-, father

Example Sentences

“Old sins have a long shadow,” his grandfather writes to memorialize a curse, and Cianfrance literalizes this in his cinematic approach.

From Salon

An investigation has been launched after a grandfather mistakenly took home the wrong child from a daycare centre in Sydney, Australia.

From BBC

DePree says his grandfather told him stories of "Hopwood Castle" as a child in Michigan, but that he only discovered the real hall existed while researching his family history in 2013.

From BBC

Consultants eventually referred the grandfather for palliative care, firstly at home - where he was prescribed heavy dosages of morphine by the local health centre - and then at Borders General Hospital from 15 May 2023.

From BBC

Bittner, whose grandfather trained at the base during World War II, has worked on various Liberty Station projects for more than two decades.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• ancestor 
• grandpa 
• patriarch