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heredity

he·red·i·ty [ hə réddətee ]


noun 
Definition:
 
1. ancestry: ancestral background

2. inheritance: the inherited right to something
based on heredity

3. passing on of genetic factors: the transfer of genetically controlled characteristics such as hair color or flower color from one generation to the next in living organisms

4. set of inherited characteristics: in genetics, the complete set of inherited characteristics of an organism

[Mid-16th century. Directly or via French< Latin hereditas "inheritance" < hered- "heir"]
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