/ ˈpedɪgriː; NAmE / noun , adjective
■ noun
1.
[ C ] knowledge of or an official record of the animals from which an animal has been bred :
dogs with good pedigrees (= their ancestors are known and of the same breed)
2.
[ C , U ] a person's family history or the background of sth, especially when this is impressive :
She was proud of her long pedigree.
The product has a pedigree going back to the last century.
■ adjective
( BrE ) ( NAmE pedi·greed ) [ only before noun ] ( of an animal ) coming from a family of the same breed that has been officially recorded for a long time and is thought to be of a good quality :
pedigree sheep
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WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English : from Anglo-Norman French pé de grue crane's foot, a mark used to denote succession in pedigrees.