— progenitorial /proh jen'i tawr"ee euhl, -tohr"-/ , adj. — progenitorship , n.
/proh jen"i teuhr/ , n.
1. a biologically related ancestor: a progenitor of the species.
2. a person or thing that first indicates a direction, originates something, or serves as a model; predecessor; precursor: the progenitor of modern painting.
[ 1350-1400; ME progenitor the founder of a family. See PRO- 1 , GENITOR ]