Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

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.

See Examples For:

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

From Washington Post ● Aug. 26, 2021

I also found the reboot too glossy, too chic, and rather boring when compared with its foremother.

From Slate ● Mar. 17, 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

A foremother that modern comedy should have had, Midge is a reverse-engineered ancestor of an Ali Wong or a Tig Notaro.

From New York Times ● Nov. 21, 2017

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 Henry Rider Haggard

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word


Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Just like flashcards, but way more fun

Don't take our word for it. Leave the boring studying behind and join VocabTrainer today. You'll learn even faster and never look back.

Take me to Vocabulary.com