pedigree
pedigree Lexical Profile
pedigree Game Scores & Validity
• noun
An official record of the purebred ancestors of a domesticated animal, or the state of being purebred.
"Before entering the dog show, the owner had to submit the spaniel's official pedigree to the kennel club."
The recorded ancestral line of a person or family, or a genealogical chart showing such descent.
"The historian traced the noble family's pedigree back to the fourteenth century."
The history, background, or proven record of achievement of a person, institution, or thing, especially when regarded as conferring distinction.
"With an impressive academic pedigree from leading research universities, she was the top candidate for the directorship."
• adjective
(Of an animal) having a recorded line of purebred ancestry.
"The farmer invested in a herd of pedigree cattle to improve the quality of his dairy production."
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the late Middle English period from Anglo-French 'pe de gru' (literally 'crane's foot'), referring to the three-pronged claw-like mark used in early genealogical charts to indicate lines of succession.