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| he·red·i·ty [ hə réddətee ] |
noun |
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| Definition: |
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1. ancestry: ancestral background
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2. inheritance: the inherited right to something
  based on heredity
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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
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4. set of inherited characteristics: in genetics, the complete set of inherited characteristics of an organism
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| [Mid-16th century. Directly or via French< Latin hereditas "inheritance" < hered- "heir"] |
