grandfather

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Literary

n. a male relative from a long time ago in your family history.

n. a male ancestor or forefather.

Español:abuelo

“The traditions of our grandfathers are still important to our village today.”

“The historian traced the family lineage back to their grandfathers who first settled in the valley during the eighteenth century.”

C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Computing Technical

n. an older version of a computer file used for safety.

n. the oldest generation of a three-generation backup rotation scheme, preceding the 'father' and 'son' files.

“The IT department keeps the grandfather tapes in a separate building for safety.”

“In a standard rotation, the grandfather file is updated monthly and stored off-site to ensure data recovery in the event of a total system failure.”

C1 · Advanced Law American English · Formal

v. to allow someone to follow an old rule even after a new rule starts.

v. to exempt a person or entity from a new regulation based on their previous status. Often used as 'grandfather in'.

“The city changed the building laws, but they grandfathered in the old houses.”

“Existing homeowners were grandfathered into the previous tax bracket, sparing them from the sudden increase mandated by the new legislation.”