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foremother

American  
[fawr-muhth-er, fohr-] / ˈfɔrˌmʌð ər, ˈfoʊr- /

noun

  1. a female ancestor.


foremother British  
/ ˈfɔːˌmʌðə /

noun

  1. a female ancestor

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of foremother

1575–85; fore- + mother 1 on the model of forefather

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Like its foremother, “Twilight,” “The In Between” depicts a pedantic girl in a supernatural world who’s willing to die for her boyfriend.

From New York Times • Feb. 11, 2022

Even today, many in the country of 12 million know little about their foremother.

From Washington Post • Aug. 26, 2021

In recent years, Chisholm has received some belated recognition for her role in establishing the groundwork for women’s fight against sexual harassment, and she has been cited as a foremother of the modern #MeToo movement.

From Slate • May 6, 2020

“She’s a pioneering performance artist and poet, a mystic, a feminist foremother for a whole generation of women artists and writers.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 16, 2020

Some forefather of yours may have heard the song of the Over-Lord, perhaps from the lips of some foremother of mine.

From Stella Fregelius by Haggard, Henry Rider