grandfather

grandfather
/gran"fah'dheuhr, grand"-/, n.
1. the father of one's father or mother.
2. a forefather.
3. the founder or originator of a family, species, type, etc.; the first of one's or its kind, or the one being longest in existence: the grandfather of all steam locomotives.
v.t.
4. to exempt (something or someone) from new legislation, restrictions, or requirements: The law grandfathered all banks already operating at the time of passage. He was grandfathered into the pension plan.
[1375-1425; late ME; see GRAND-, FATHER]

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • grandfather — grand·fa·ther vt: to permit to continue under a grandfather clause current residents will be grandfather ed under the regulation often used with in Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam Webster. 1996 …   Law dictionary

  • Grandfather — Grandfather, NC U.S. village in North Carolina Population (2000): 73 Housing Units (2000): 377 Land area (2000): 1.500982 sq. miles (3.887526 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.043443 sq. miles (0.112517 sq. km) Total area (2000): 1.544425 sq. miles (4 …   StarDict's U.S. Gazetteer Places

  • Grandfather, NC — U.S. village in North Carolina Population (2000): 73 Housing Units (2000): 377 Land area (2000): 1.500982 sq. miles (3.887526 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.043443 sq. miles (0.112517 sq. km) Total area (2000): 1.544425 sq. miles (4.000043 sq. km)… …   StarDict's U.S. Gazetteer Places

  • grandfather — early 15c., from GRAND (Cf. grand) (adj.) + FATHER (Cf. father), probably on analogy of Fr. grand père. Replaced GRANDSIRE (Cf. grandsire) and O.E. ealdefæder. Grandfather clause originally (1900) referred to exemptions from post Reconstruction… …   Etymology dictionary

  • Grandfather — Grand fa ther, n. A father s or mother s father; an ancestor immediately after the father or mother in lineal ascent. [1913 Webster] {Grandfather longlegs}. (Zo[ o]l.) See {Daddy longlegs}. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • grandfather — [grand′fä΄thər, gran′fä΄thər] n. 1. the father of one s father or mother: also a term of respectful familiarity to any elderly man 2. a male ancestor; forefather vt. Informal to exempt (an activity, practice, person, etc.) from a new law or… …   English World dictionary

  • grandfather — ► NOUN 1) the father of one s father or mother. 2) a founder or originator …   English terms dictionary

  • grandfather */*/ — UK [ˈɡræn(d)ˌfɑːðə(r)] / US [ˈɡræn(d)ˌfɑðər] noun [countable] Word forms grandfather : singular grandfather plural grandfathers the father of one of your parents. You are his granddaughter or grandson. You usually call your grandfather grandad or …   English dictionary

  • grandfather — [[t]græ̱ndfɑːðə(r)[/t]] grandfathers N FAMILY Your grandfather is the father of your father or mother. His grandfather was a professor …   English dictionary

  • grandfather — 1. noun 1) his grandfather lives here Syn: informal granddad, grandad, grandpa, gramps, grampy, granddaddy, grandaddy, poppa 2) the grandfather of modern liberalism Syn: founder, inventor, originator, c …   Thesaurus of popular words

  • grandfather — /ˈgrænfaðə / (say granfahdhuh), /ˈgrænd / (say grand ) noun 1. the father of one s father or mother. 2. Aboriginal English a man of one s parents parents generation, especially a biological grandfather or one of his brothers. –verb (t) 3. Law to… …  

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