grandfather

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   The father of your father or mother.

   I called my grandfather on the phone.

2. 2
   verb

   To let someone or something keep old rules or privileges after new rules are introduced.

   Existing members were grandfathered in at the old, lower price.

The noun is derived from Middle English grandfadre, graundfadir, graunfadir, grauntfader, and other forms, from graunt (“big, large; great, important”) + fā̆der (“male parent, father; remoter male ancestor”), probably modelled after Middle French grandpere, grant pere (“male parent; remoter male ancestor”) (whence French grand-père); the English word is analysable as grand- + father. Superseded earlier eldfather, elderfather. The verb is derived from the noun.

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