Definition of "heirloom" []

• A valued possession passed down in a family through succeeding generations. (noun)
• An article of personal property included in an inherited estate. (noun)
• A cultivar of a vegetable or fruit that is open-pollinated and is not grown widely for commercial purposes. An heirloom often exhibits a distinctive characteristic such as superior flavor or unusual coloration. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "You've probably heard of the term heirloom somewhere before (my guess is having to do with antiques or tomatoes) -- Griffith calls it something that will not only last through your lifetime and into the next generation, but that you also want to keep that long because it's beautiful, functional, and timeless."
• "I've also become very interested in heirloom seeds."
• "Your most precious family heirloom is the shotgun used at your grandparents 'wedding."