grandfather
grandfather Lexical Profile
grandfather Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The father of one's father or mother.
"Every summer, we spent two weeks at my grandfather's farmhouse in the countryside."
A male ancestor, forefather, or originator of a movement, field, or tradition.
"He is widely regarded as the grandfather of modern computer science."
• verb
North American To exempt an existing person, business, or practice from a newly enacted law or regulation (often used with 'in').
"Existing subscribers were grandfathered in at their original monthly rate when the company raised prices."
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
First recorded in the early 15th century, formed from 'grand-' (borrowed from Anglo-French 'graund', used in kinship terms to denote one generation older) and 'father' (from Old English 'fæder'), gradually replacing the older native English term 'eam' or 'eld-father'.