grand·fa·ther

(grănd′fä′thər, grăn′-)

1. The father of one's mother or father.

2. A forefather; an ancestor.

tr.v. grand·fa·thered, grand·fa·ther·ing, grand·fa·thers

To exempt (someone or something) from a new regulation that prohibits or restricts something: The new ordinance restricts the size of billboards, but it grandfathers those erected before 1997.

[V., from grandfather clause.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

grandfather

(ˈɡrænˌfɑːðə; ˈɡrænd-)

1. the father of one's father or mother

2. (often plural) a male ancestor

3. (often capital) a familiar term of address for an old man

4. dialect a caterpillar or woodlouse

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

grand•fa•ther

(ˈgrænˌfɑ ðər, ˈgrænd-)

n.

1. the father of one's father or mother.

2. a male ancestor.

[1375–1425]

grand′fa`ther•ly, adj.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun

grandfather - the father of your father or mother

gramps, grandad, granddad, granddaddy, grandpa

grandparent - a parent of your father or mother

grandfather

noun grandad, grandpa, grandaddy, gramps My grandfather was a coal miner.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

Translations

جدجَدجَدّ

прадядо

avi

dědadědečekprarodičebabičkaděd

bedstefarbedsteforælderbedstemor

Großvater Opa Großmutter

παππούς

avo

abuelo

isoisäpappaukkivaari

grand-père aïeul

סב סבא

djed

nagyapanagyszülő

kakek

afi, amma

nonno avo

祖父お爺さん外祖父

할아버지

avus

ant grindų stovintis laikrodissenelėseneliaisenelis

vecāmātevectēvsvecvecāki

grootvader opa voorvaderbompa

bestefar farfar morfar

dziadek

avô

дедушка дед

dedko

dedstari oče

morfarfarfar

ปู่ ตา

dede büyük baba büyükbaba

ông

外祖父祖父外公

grandfather

[ˈgrændˌfɑːðəʳ]

A. N → abuelo m

B. CPD grandfather clock N → reloj m de pie, reloj m de caja

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

grandfather

[ˈgrændfɑːðə^r] n → grand-père m
my grandfather → mon grand-pèregrandfather clock n → horloge f comtoise

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

grandfather

n → Großvater m

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

grandfather

[ˈgrændˌfɑːðəʳ] n → nonno

grandfather

(ˈgrӕnfaːðə) grandmother (ˈgrӕnmaðə) , grandparent (ˈgrӕnpeərənt) noun

the father or mother of one's father or mother.

grandfather clock

a clock with a tall usually wooden case which stands on the floor.

grandfather

→ جَدّ dědeček bedstefar Großvater παππούς abuelo isoisä grand-père djed nonno 祖父 할아버지 grootvader bestefar dziadek avô дедушка morfar ปู่ ตา büyükbaba ông 祖父

grandfather

n abuelo

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

GRANDFATHER had been sitting in his old arm-chair all that pleasant afternoon, while the children were pursuing their various sports far off or near at hand, Sometimes you would have said, "Grandfather is asleep;" hut still, even when his eyes were closed, his thoughts were with the young people, playing among the flowers and shrubbery of the garden.

And though' Grandfather was old and gray-haired, yet his heart leaped with joy whenever little Alice came fluttering, like a butterfly, into the room.

So they came into the room together, anti clustered round Grandfather's great chair.

"Grandfather," said little Alice, laying her head back upon his arm, "I am very tired now.

"That is not what story-tellers like," answered Grandfather, smiling.

And pray, Grandfather, tell us a story about this strange-looking old chair."

Now, the chair in which Grandfather sat was made of oak, which had grown dark with age, but had been rubbed and polished till it shone as bright as mahogany.

The children had seen Grandfather sitting in this chair ever since they could remember anything.

View in context

Grandfather came down, wearing a white shirt and his Sunday coat.

Jake and Otto joined us from the basement and we sat about the stove, enjoying the deepening grey of the winter afternoon and the atmosphere of comfort and security in my grandfather's house.

His long body formed a letter `S.' I saw grandmother look apprehensively at grandfather. He was rather narrow in religious matters, and sometimes spoke out and hurt people's feelings.

As we turned back to the sitting-room, grandfather looked at me searchingly.

View in context