pedigree
Pedigree (noun) means a record of an animal's or person's ancestry, especially one showing distinguished breeding. Example: “The breeder showed us the puppy's pedigree going back four generations.”
How to use pedigree
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA traceable line of ancestry or a strong track record — used for animals' breeding and, figuratively, for people's impressive backgrounds.
Word forms
pedigreed past tense, pedigrees plural, pedigrees singular
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The breeder showed us the puppy's _____ going back four generations.
Etymology
From Old French pié de grue, "foot of a crane," apparently because old genealogy charts had branching lines that looked like a crane's foot.
Synonyms
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Rhymes for pedigree
See all rhymes for pedigree →Frequently asked questions
What does “pedigree” mean?
The word “pedigree” means a record of an animal's or person's ancestry, especially one showing distinguished breeding. In plain terms, a traceable line of ancestry or a strong track record — used for animals' breeding and, figuratively, for people's impressive backgrounds.
How do you pronounce “pedigree”?
“Pedigree” is pronounced PEHD-ih-gree (/ˈpɛd.ɪ.ɡɹi/ in IPA).
How do you use “pedigree” in a sentence?
Here is “pedigree” used in a sentence: “The breeder showed us the puppy's pedigree going back four generations.”
What part of speech is “pedigree”?
Depending on how it is used, “pedigree” can be a noun and an adjective.
Where does the word “pedigree” come from?
The word “pedigree” comes from Old French. From Old French pié de grue, "foot of a crane," apparently because old genealogy charts had branching lines that looked like a crane's foot.
Is “pedigree” a common word?
“Pedigree” is an uncommon word in modern English.
How many meanings does “pedigree” have?
“Pedigree” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a record of an animal's or person's ancestry, especially one showing distinguished breeding.