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progenitor

Browse the Dictionary:: A; B; C; D; E; F; G; H; I; J; K; L; M; N; O; P; Q; R; S; T; U; V; W; X; Y; Z; #

progenitor

Main Entry:: pro·gen·i·tor
Pronunciation:: \prō-ˈje-nə-tər, prə-\
Function:: noun
Etymology:: Middle English, from Anglo-French progenitour, from Latin progenitor, from progignere to beget, from pro- forth + gignere to beget — more at kin
Date:: 14th century

1 a: an ancestor in the direct line : forefather b: a biologically ancestral form2: precursor , originator <progenitors of socialist ideas — Times Literary Supplement> <progenitor cells>

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