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predecessor

 - 4 dictionary results

pred⋅e⋅ces⋅sor

  [pred-uh-ses-er, pred-uh-ses-er or, especially Brit., pree-duh-ses-er]
Use predecessor in a Sentence
–noun
1. a person who precedes another in an office, position, etc.
2. something succeeded or replaced by something else: The new monument in the park is more beautiful than its predecessor.
3. Archaic. an ancestor; forefather.
Origin:
1250–1300; ME predecessour < AF < LL praedēcessor, equiv. to L prae- pre- + dēcessor retiring official, itself equiv. to dēced-, var. s. of dēcēdere to withdraw (dē- de- + cēdere to yield; see cede ) + -tor -tor, with dt > ss
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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pred·e·ces·sor   (prěd'ĭ-sěs'ər, prē'dĭ-)   
n.  

  1. One who precedes another in time, especially in holding an office or position.

  2. Something that has been succeeded by another: The new building is more spacious than its predecessor.

  3. Archaic An ancestor; a forebear.


[Middle English predecessoure, from Old French predecesseur, from Late Latin praedēcessor : Latin prae-, pre- + Latin dēcessor, a retiring magistrate (from dēcessus, past participle of dēcēdere, to depart : dē-, away; see de- + cēdere, to go; see ked- in Indo-European roots).]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

predecessor 
c.1375, "one who has held an office or position before the present holder," from L.L. prædecessorem (nom. prædecessor), c.420, from L. præ "before" + decessor "retiring official," from decess-, pp. stem of decedere "go away," also "die" (see decease). Meaning "ancestor, forefather" is recorded from c.1400.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Computing Dictionary

predecessor
parent

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © 1993-2007 Denis Howe
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