Heir

• POS: Noun

CIDE DICTIONARY

Heir, n. [OE. heir, eir, hair, OF. heir, eir, F. hoir, L. heres; of uncertain origin. Cf. Hereditary, Heritage.].

•  One who inherits, or is entitled to succeed to the possession of, any property after the death of its owner; one on whom the law bestows the title or property of another at the death of the latter.  [1913 Webster]

  "I am my father's heir and only son."  [1913 Webster]
•  One who receives any endowment from an ancestor or relation; as, the heir of one's reputation or virtues.  [1913 Webster]

  "And I his heir in misery alone."  [1913 Webster]

Heir apparent. (Law.) See under Apparent. -- Heir at law, one who, after his ancector's death, has a right to inherit all his intestate estate. Wharton (Law Dict.). -- Heir presumptive, one who, if the ancestor should die immediately, would be his heir, but whose right to the inheritance may be defeated by the birth of a nearer relative, or by some other contingency.

Heir, v. t. 

 To inherit; to succeed to.  [1913 Webster]
"One only daughter heired the royal state."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Heir, n.
1 a person entitled to property or rank as the legal successor of its former owner (often foll. by to: heir to the throne).
2 a person deriving or morally entitled to some thing, quality, etc., from a predecessor.

Idiom

heir apparent an heir whose claim cannot be set aside by the birth of another heir. heir-at-law (pl. heirs-at-law) an heir by right of blood, esp. to the real property of an intestate. heir presumptive an heir whose claim may be set aside in this way.

Derivative

heirdom n. heirless adj. heirship n.

Etymology

ME f. OF eir f. LL herem f. L heres -edis

THESAURUS

Heir

aftermath, apparent heir, backup man, beneficiary, beneficiary heir, breed, brood, children, conclusion, consequence, coparcener, descendant, descendants, descent, dynasty, effect, family, fideicommissary heir, fiduciary heir, fruit, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, heir apparent, heir expectant, heir general, heir in tail, heir of entail, heir of inventory, heir of line, heir portioner, heir presumptive, heir whatsoever, heiress, heirs, heritor, hostages to fortune, inheritor, inheritors, inheritress, inheritrix, issue, joint heir, kids, legatee, line, lineage, little ones, new generation, next in line, offspring, orphan, posterity, presumptive heir, progeny, relict, remainderman, replacement, reversioner, rising generation, seed, sequel, sons, succession, successor, survivor, treasures, widow, widower, younglings, youngsters

ROGET THESAURUS

Heir

Posterity

N posterity, progeny, breed, issue, offspring, brood, litter, seed, farrow, spawn, spat, family, grandchildren, heirs, great-grandchild, child, son, daughter, butcha, bantling, scion, acrospire, plumule, shoot, sprout, olive-branch, sprit, branch, off-shoot, off- set, ramification, descendant, heir, heiress, heir-apparent, heir- presumptive, chip off the old block, heredity, rising generation, straight descent, sonship, line, lineage, filiation, primogeniture, filial, diphyletic, the child is father of the man, the fruit doesn't fall far from the tree, like father, like son.