Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
noun, plural an·ces·tries.
- family or ancestral descent; lineage.
- honorable or distinguished descent: famous by title and ancestry.
- a series of ancestors: His ancestry settled Utah.
- the inception or origin of a phenomenon, object, idea, or style.
- the history or developmental process of a phenomenon, object, idea, or style.
noun plural -tries
- lineage or descent, esp when ancient, noble, or distinguished
- ancestors collectively
early 14c., from Old French ancesserie “ancestry, ancestors, forefathers,” from ancestre (see ancestor); spelling modified in English by influence of ancestor.