an·ces·try

[an-ses-tree or, esp. British, -suh-stree]
noun, plural an·ces·tries.
1.
family or ancestral descent; lineage.
2.
honorable or distinguished descent: famous by title and ancestry.
3.
a series of ancestors: His ancestry settled Utah.
4.
the inception or origin of a phenomenon, object, idea, or style.
5.
the history or developmental process of a phenomenon, object, idea, or style.
Origin:
1300–50; Middle English, equivalent to ancestre ancestor + -y3; replacing Middle English aunce(s)trie < Anglo-French

Synonyms
1. pedigree, genealogy, stock. 3. family, line.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Ancestry is always a great word to know.
So is quincunx. Does it mean:
an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle.
an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
ancestry (ˈænsɛstrɪ) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—n , pl -tries
1.  lineage or descent, esp when ancient, noble, or distinguished
2.  ancestors collectively

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

ancestry
early 14c., from O.Fr. ancesserie "ancestry, ancestors, forefathers," from ancestre (see ancestor), spelling modified by influence of ancestor.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
Info on their medical history, ancestry, and current meds was already available
  but not linked to specific participants.
According to two research teams, the ancient whale remains reveal telltale
  signs of artiodactyl ancestry.
They do not want information about their ancestry or hereditary dispositions
  available to any but themselves.
Despite the disparate forms, however, they are joined together by a common
  ancestry.
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