Progeny and prodigy are two words that are often confused. We will look at the definitions of the words progeny and prodigy, where the words come from and some examples of their use in sentences.
Progeny are the offspring or immediate descendants of a person, animal or plant. Sometimes, the word progeny is used figuratively to describe an outcome or a result of something. The word progeny is derived from the Latin word progenies which means offspring, descendants, family or lineage. When referring to people, progeny is used as the singular and the plural form of the word, when referring to plants or animals, the plural form is progenies.
A prodigy is someone with amazing or unusual talents. The word prodigy is usually applied when referring to a child who has talent beyond his years, such as a math prodigy or a musical prodigy. Some scientists say that prodigies are so rare that there is only one in every five or ten million people. The word prodigy may also be used to mean anything that causes amazement or is outside the norms of nature. The word prodigy is derived from the Latin word prodigium which means omen or portent, the plural form is prodigies.
Examples
Almandin’s win takes the prizemoney earned by Monsun’s progeny to over $50 million, and to date he has sired over 500 individual winners, with 112 of those being stakes-winners. (The Sydney Morning Herald)
Fifteen years playing in the Allman Brothers Band, a guitar prodigy who has toured since the age of 9, multiple collaborations with Eric Clapton along with just about every other prominent guitarist of the past 40 years — these are the résumé items for the 37-year-old Derek Trucks. (The Peoria Journal Star)