progenitor

(prō-jĕn'ĭ-tər)
n.

1. A direct ancestor. See synonyms at ancestor.
2. An originator of a line of descent; a precursor.
3. An originator; a founder: progenitors of the new music.

[Middle English progenitour, from Old French progeniteur, from Latin prōgenitor, from prōgenitus, past participle of prōgignere, to beget : prō-, forward; see pro-¹ + gignere, gen-, to beget.]

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noun

1. A person from whom one is descended: ancestor, antecedent, ascendant, father, forebear, forefather, foremother, mother, parent. Archaic predecessor. See kin, precede/follow.
2. One that precedes, as in time: ancestor, antecedent, forerunner, precursor, predecessor. See precede/follow.

IN BRIEF: The source from which something develops. Also: Ancestor.

The progenitor of the idea of the computer came along long before the first computer was actually made.

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Ancestor, including parent.

• p. cell — stem cells.

For a list of words related to progenitor, see:

• Kinship and Ancestry - progenitor: forefather; ancestor in direct line
• Names and Relationships - progenitor: ancestor in direct blood line

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See words rhyming with "progenitor."

  See crossword solutions for the clue Progenitor.

Dansk (Danish)
n. - forfader

Nederlands (Dutch)
(directe)voorvader, biologische voorloper, voorganger

Français (French)
n. - père (sout), mère, auteur, père (d'un mouvement)

Deutsch (German)
n. - Vorfahre, Vorläufer

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - γεννήτορας, πρόγονος

Italiano (Italian)
progenitore

Português (Portuguese)
n. - progenitor (m)

Русский (Russian)
прародитель, предшественник

Español (Spanish)
n. - progenitor

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - (stam)fader, upphovsman, ursprung

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
祖先, 原著, 先辈

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 祖先, 原著, 先輩

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 조상, 선각자, 선배

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 先祖, 創始者, 先輩, 原本

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) منجب, مؤسس‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮אב קדמון, מוליד, אב, יוצר (שיטה חדשה), מקור של עותק‬

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