Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary - inherit

 verb  Etymology: Middle English enheriten to give right of ~ance to, from Anglo-French enheriter, from Late Latin inhereditare, from Latin in- + hereditas ~ance — more at heredity  Date: 14th century  transitive verb  1. to come into possession of or receive especially as a right or divine portion and every one who has left houses or brothers or sisters…for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold, and ~ eternal life — Matthew 19:29 (Revised Standard Version)  2.  a. to receive from an ancestor as a right or title descendible by law at the ancestor's death  b. to receive as a devise or legacy  3. to receive from a parent or ancestor by genetic transmission ~ a defective enzyme  4. to have in turn or receive as if from an ancestor ~ed the problem from his predecessor  intransitive verb to take or hold a possession or rights by ~ance  • ~or noun  • ~ress or ~rix noun