heirloom
heirloom Lexical Profile
heirloom Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A valuable object or possession that has belonged to a family for several generations.
"The antique pocket watch is a cherished family heirloom passed down from her great-grandfather."
In law, a piece of personal property or chattel that descends to an heir along with a freehold estate by custom or special devise.
"Under the old estate laws, the ancestral portraits were treated as legal heirlooms attached to the manor."
• adjective
Denoting an older, open-pollinated cultivar of a plant, fruit, or vegetable that has been preserved and passed down by gardeners rather than used in large-scale commercial agriculture.
"The farmers' market had a colorful display of heirloom tomatoes and purple carrots."
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed in late Middle English from 'heir' and 'loom' (in its original Old English sense of 'tool, implement, or piece of furniture'), literally referring to an implement or chattel passed down to an heir.