English Explanatory Dictionary

heirloom

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A valued possession that has been passed down through the generations.
  2. An old crop variety that has been passed down through generations of farmers by seed saving and cultivation, in contrast to modern cultivars used in large-scale agriculture.

Pronunciation

/ˈɛə.luːm/ /ˈɛɚ.lum/ [ˈɛɹ.lum] /ˈeː.lʉːm/ en-au-heirloom.ogg

Word forms

heirloom heirlooms heir-loom

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English heirlome (“heirloom”, literally “a tool or article passed to one's heirs”). By surface analysis, heir + loom. Displaced native Old English fæderġestrēon.

Synonyms

patrimony

Related words

heritage landrace
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