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ancestress

American  
[an-ses-tris, -suh-stris] / ˈæn sɛs trɪs, -sə strɪs /

noun

  1. a woman from whom a person is descended.


Gender

What's the difference between ancestress and ancestor? See -ess.

Etymology

Origin of ancestress

First recorded in 1570–80; ancest(o)r + -ess

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:

Author Mackenzie says that Charles, like his ancestress Mary.

From Time Magazine Archive

The chief of the sacred treasures of Japan is the mirror which contains the spirit of the Sun Goddess Amaterasu, ancestress of H. I. M. The Emperor of Japan.

From Time Magazine Archive

A jewel box of a biography of the incomparable Sarah Churchill, wife to the hero of Blenheim, ancestress of Sir Winston.

From Time Magazine Archive

He had taken to wife the Princess Charlotte of Oldenburg, petite and ravishing as her famed ancestress Queen Louise of Prussia.*

From Time Magazine Archive

I had an ancestress with a long gray tail and eyes as beady as mine, and her name was Katinka Van Tassel.

From "Secrets at Sea" by Richard Peck

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