The meaning of Antecedent

noun

A person, typically one more remote than a grandparent, from whom one is descended.

Usage examples:

He could trace his ancestors back to james the first

noun

One's family or ethnic descent.

Usage examples:

He was proud of his irish ancestry

noun

Your ancestors who lived a long time ago, or the origin of your family

Usage examples:

He was proud of his native american ancestry., his wife was of royal ancestry., the family has trac…

adjective

Nearer the front, especially in the front of the body, or nearer to the head or forepart.

Usage examples:

The veins anterior to the heart

adjective

Positioned at or towards the front

Usage examples:

Specimens for examination were taken from the anterior side of the left ventricle from each heart.

noun

The part of a picture, scene, or design that forms a setting for the main figures or objects, or appears furthest from the viewer.

Usage examples:

The house stands against a background of sheltering trees

verb

Form a background to.

Usage examples:

Windswept land backgrounded by the rockies

noun

Things that appear to be farther away or behind what is nearer or in front, esp. in a picture

Usage examples:

[ c ] he photographed the models against different backgrounds., [ u ] with so much noise in the ba…

noun

The emergence of a baby or other young from the body of its mother; the start of life as a physically separate being.

Usage examples:

He was blind from birth

verb

Give birth to (a baby or other young).

Usage examples:

She birthed five children within ten years

noun

An act of moving downwards, dropping, or falling.

Usage examples:

The plane had gone into a steep descent

noun

The origin of people in your family background

Usage examples:

Their mother is of irish descent (= family origin)., the descent of dozens of motorcycles terrified…

adjective

Happening or done before the usual or expected time.

Usage examples:

We ate an early lunch

adverb

Before the usual or expected time.

Usage examples:

I was planning to finish work early today

noun

Potatoes which are ready to be harvested before the main crop.

Usage examples:

The versatile early potato solanum tuberosum has many varieties, which have their own distinct seas…

noun

The action of extracting something, especially using effort or force.

Usage examples:

Mineral extraction

noun

The process of removing or taking out something

Usage examples:

[ c ] a tooth extraction, [ u ] she is of korean extraction.

noun

The process of removing a substance from the ground or from another substance

Usage examples:

The local economy is overwhelmingly dependent on oil and gas extraction., hard-rock mining refers t…

noun

A group of one or more parents and their children living together as a unit.

Usage examples:

The family lived in a large house with a lot of land

adjective

Designed to be suitable for children as well as adults.

Usage examples:

A family newspaper

noun

A social group of parents, children, and sometimes grandparents, uncles, aunts, and others who are related

Usage examples:

[ c ] her family moved here when she was eleven., [ u ] many people cope with the demands of both c…

noun

The fact of being the child of a particular parent or parents.

Usage examples:

Relationships based on ties of filiation as opposed to marriage

noun

An ancestor.

Usage examples:

Generations of his forebears had lived in london

noun

An ancestor

noun

A relative who lived in the past

noun

A member of the past generations of one's family or people; an ancestor.

Usage examples:

The duchy which her forefathers had ruled since the tenth century

noun

Someone's relative who lived a long time ago

Usage examples:

Our forefathers fought for equal justice under the law., the house was built by his forefather will…

adjective

Just mentioned or stated; preceding.

Usage examples:

The foregoing analysis of the economic class structure

noun

The things just mentioned or stated.

Usage examples:

Proceeding from the foregoing, one may single out three strategically stable states of interstate m…

verb

Variant spelling of forgo.

noun

A person or thing that precedes the coming or development of someone or something else.

Usage examples:

The ice safe was a forerunner of today's refrigerator

noun

An early, often less advanced model of something

Usage examples:

His machine was a forerunner of the modern computer.

noun

A line of descent traced continuously from an ancestor.

Usage examples:

The genealogies of the kings of mercia

noun

The study of the history of the past and present members of a family, or a particular history of this type

Usage examples:

[ c ] he has produced a genealogy of his family going back to 1732.

noun

The study of past events, particularly in human affairs.

Usage examples:

Medieval european history

noun

(the study of) past events considered together, esp. events or developments of a particular period, country, or subject

Usage examples:

[ u ] i’m taking a course in american history., [ c ] i’m reading a history of jazz (= a book that …

noun

A record of past events relating to a particular person or company

Usage examples:

This is the 50th consecutive month of uninterrupted job growth, the longest in the nation's history…

adjective

Gone by in time and no longer existing.

Usage examples:

The danger is now past

noun

The time before the moment of speaking or writing.

Usage examples:

She found it hard to make ends meet in the past

preposition

To or on the further side of.

Usage examples:

He rode on past the crossroads

adjective

Existing before something else

Usage examples:

The drug should be used with caution in patients with pre-existing cardiac disease.

adjective

Coming before something in order, position, or time.

Usage examples:

The preceding pages

verb

Come before (something) in time.

Usage examples:

A gun battle had preceded the explosions

adjective

Existing or happening before someone or something

Usage examples:

The paintings are a development of ideas she explored in the preceding decade., in conclusion, i ho…

noun

A person or thing that comes before another of the same kind; a forerunner.

Usage examples:

A three-stringed precursor of the violin

noun

Something that comes before another and may lead to it or influence its development

Usage examples:

Opponents fear this would be a precursor to development of the entire canyon.

adjective

Preceding something in time, development, or position; preliminary.

Usage examples:

Precursory seismic activity

noun

A person who held a job or office before the current holder.

Usage examples:

His approach is very similar to that of his predecessor

adjective

Existing or occurring before in time or order.

Usage examples:

She looked tired after her exertions of the previous evening

noun

Previous convictions; a criminal record.

Usage examples:

He's got previous—theft and wounding

adjective

Happening or existing before the one mentioned

Usage examples:

The previous owner of the house added a back porch., she was previously employed as a tour guide.

adjective

Existing or coming before in time, order, or importance.

Usage examples:

He has a prior engagement this evening

noun

A previous criminal conviction.

Usage examples:

He had no juvenile record, no priors

noun

A man who is head of a house or group of houses of certain religious orders.

Usage examples:

The english reformation removed powerful abbots and priors from their seats

noun

A person or thing from which a person, animal, or plant is descended or originates; an ancestor or parent.

Usage examples:

His children were the progenitors of many of scotland's noble families

noun

The parent or direct ancestor of a person, animal, or plant

Usage examples:

A child has a male progenitor and a female progenitor., a series of several persons descended from …

noun

A person who first thinks of something and causes it to exist

Usage examples:

Marx was the progenitor of communism., the sagrada familia was conceived originally by its progenit…

noun

A thing constituting a piece of evidence about the past, especially an account kept in writing or some other permanent form.

Usage examples:

You should keep a written record

verb

Set down in writing or some other permanent form for later reference.

Usage examples:

They were asked to keep a diary and record everything they ate or drank

verb

Anything providing permanent evidence about past events

noun

The part of a plant which attaches it to the ground or to a support, typically underground, conveying water and nourishment to the rest of the plant via numerous branches and fibres.

Usage examples:

Cacti have deep and spreading roots

verb

Cause (a plant or cutting) to grow roots.

Usage examples:

Root your own cuttings from stock plants

noun

An act of rooting.

Usage examples:

I had a root through the open drawers

noun

The goods or merchandise kept on the premises of a shop or warehouse and available for sale or distribution.

Usage examples:

The store has a very low turnover of stock

adjective

(of a product or type of product) usually kept in stock and thus regularly available for sale.

Usage examples:

25 per cent off stock items

verb

Have or keep a supply of (a particular product or type or product) available for sale.

Usage examples:

Most supermarkets now stock a range of organic produce