INHERIT

inherit

(verb) obtain from someone after their death; “I inherited a castle from my French grandparents”

inherit

(verb) receive by genetic transmission; “I inherited my good eyesight from my mother”

inherit

(verb) receive from a predecessor; “The new chairman inherited many problems from the previous chair”

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Verb

inherit (third-person singular simple present inherits, present participle inheriting, simple past and past participle inherited)

(transitive) To take possession of as a right (especially in Biblical translations).

(transitive) To receive (property, a title, etc.), by legal succession or bequest after the previous owner's death.

(transitive, biology) To receive a characteristic from one's ancestors by genetic transmission.

(transitive) To derive from people or conditions previously in force.

(intransitive) To come into an inheritance.

(computing, programming, transitive) To derive (existing functionality) from a superclass.

(computing, programming, transitive) To derive a new class from (a superclass).

(transitive, obsolete) To put in possession of.

Usage notes

• Do not confuse with inherent.

Source: Wiktionary


In*her"it, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Inherited; p. pr. & vb. n. Inheriting.] Etym: [OE. enheriten to inherit, to give a heritage to, OF. enheriter to appoint as an heir, L. inhereditare; pref. in- in + hereditare to inherit, fr. heres heir. See Heir.]

1. (Law)

Definition: To take by descent from an ancestor; to take by inheritance; to take as heir on the death of an ancestor or other person to whose estate one succeeds; to receive as a right or title descendible by law from an ancestor at his decease; as, the heir inherits the land or real estate of his father; the eldest son of a nobleman inherits his father's title; the eldest son of a king inherits the crown.

2. To receive or take by birth; to have by nature; to derive or acquire from ancestors, as mental or physical qualities; as, he inherits a strong constitution, a tendency to disease, etc. Prince Harry is valiant; for the cold blood he did naturally inherit of his father he hath . . . manured . . . with good store of fertile sherris. Shak.

3. To come into possession of; to possess; to own; to enjoy as a possession. But the meek shall inherit the earth. Ps. xxxvii. 11. To bury so much gold under a tree, And never after to inherit it. Shak.

4. To put in possession of. [R.] Shak.

In*her"it, v. i.

Definition: To take or hold a possession, property, estate, or rights by inheritance. Thou shalt not inherit our father's house. Judg. xi. 2.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

25 January 2025

DERMATOGLYPHICS

(noun) the study of the whorls and loops and arches in the fingertips and on the palms of the hand and the soles of the feet; “some criminologists specialize in dermatoglyphics”


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Coffee Trivia

According to Guinness World Records, the most massive cup of coffee contained 22,739.14 liters and was created by Alcaldía Municipal de Chinchiná (Colombia) at Parque de Bolívar, Chinchiná, Caldas, Colombia, on 15 June 2019. Fifty people worked for more than a month to build this giant cup. The drink prepared was Arabic coffee.

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