pedigree

Everyday

1. The list of an animal's parents, grandparents and earlier ancestors, showing it is of one pure breed. tree →
2. (adjective) A pedigree animal comes from parents of the same breed, with records. tree →
3. A person's family background or ancestry. tree →
4. The past record of something, showing it is good: «the team's winning pedigree». tree →

In the lessons

Used about dogs, cats, horses and cattle at shows and on farms. In science lessons on inheritance, a pedigree chart shows how features like eye colour pass through a family. In sport and business it means a record of success.

Examples

• Our dog is a pedigree Labrador. tree →
• The breeder showed us the puppy's pedigree. tree →
• Pedigree cats can be very expensive. tree →
• The horse had a famous pedigree. tree →
• We drew a pedigree chart of our family's eye colours. tree →
• The coach has a strong pedigree in winning cups. tree →
• Mixed-breed dogs are often healthier than some pedigrees. tree →
• Be sure of your pedigree before you boast of it. tree →

Note

Countable. Opposite of pedigree animal: mixed breed, crossbreed or mongrel. Pedigree is also a brand name of dog food (a name). Pronounced «PED-i-gree».

In Jewish tradition

Here it means a family line or list of ancestors, as in the Torah's lists of descendants.

Interpretation. The Torah's long family lists show where each tribe and person came from. Tradition treats this ancestry as important for roles such as priest (kohen) and Levite.

Note

Countable. Opposite of pedigree animal: mixed breed, crossbreed or mongrel. Pedigree is also a brand name of dog food (a name). Pronounced «PED-i-gree».