-ance. [F. -ance, fr. L. -antia and also fr. - entia.] A suffix signifying action; also, quality or state; as, assistance, resistance, appearance, elegance. See -ancy.
All recently adopted words of this class take either -ance or -ence, according to the Latin spelling.
An"ces*tor (&?;), n. [OE. ancestre, auncestre, also ancessour; the first forms fr. OF. ancestre, F. ancêtre, fr. the L. nom. antessor one who goes before; the last form fr. OF. ancessor, fr. L. acc. antecessorem, fr. antecedere to go before; ante before + cedere to go. See Cede, and cf. Antecessor.] 1. One from whom a person is descended, whether on the father's or mother's side, at any distance of time; a progenitor; a fore father.
2. (Biol.) An earlier type; a progenitor; as, this fossil animal is regarded as the ancestor of the horse.