a person or thing from the past that a person, animal or plant that is alive now is related to （人或动、植物等的）祖先，祖代 a person who starts an idea or a development 创始人；先驱 the progenitors of modern art 现代艺术的先驱
Word Originlate Middle English: from Old French progeniteur, from Latin progenitor, from progenit- ‘begotten’, from the verb progignere, from pro- ‘forward’ + gignere ‘beget’.