English

Alternative forms

• progenitour (obsolete)

Noun

progenitor ‎(plural progenitors)

1. A forefather, any of a person's direct ancestors.
2. An individual from whom one or more people (dynasty, tribe, nation...) are descended.

   Abraham alias Ibrahim is the progenitor of both the Jewish and Arab peoples.

3. (biology) An ancestral form of a species
4. (figuratively) A predecessor of something, especially if also a precursor or model.

   ARPANET was the progenitor of the Internet.

   Are neural progenitor cells infected by Zika virus?

5. (figuratively) Someone who originates something.
6. A founder.

Derived terms

• legendary progenitor

Related terms

• progeny

Translations

Latin

Etymology

From pro- +‎ genitor.

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /proːˈɡe.ni.tor/, [proːˈɡɛ.nɪ.tɔr]

Noun

prōgenitor m ‎(genitive prōgenitōris); third declension

1. (rare) ancestor, progenitor

Declension

Third declension.

References

• progenitor in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• progenitor in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• Félix Gaffiot (1934), “progenitor”, in Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Paris: Hachette.

Portuguese

Noun

progenitor m (plural progenitores, feminine progenitora, feminine plural progenitoras)

1. progenitor (any of a person’s direct ancestors)
2. (figuratively) progenitor (a predecessor of something)

Spanish

Noun

progenitor m ‎(plural progenitores, feminine progenitora)

1. progenitor