matriarch

matriarch
/may"tree ahrk'/, n.
1. the female head of a family or tribal line.
2. a woman who is the founder or dominant member of a community or group.
3. a venerable old woman.
[1600-10; MATRI- + -ARCH]

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • matriarch — index parents Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • matriarch — mother who heads a family or tribe, c.1600, from MATRI (Cf. matri ) + arch, abstracted from PATRIARCH (Cf. patriarch) …   Etymology dictionary

  • matriarch — ► NOUN 1) a woman who is the head of a family or tribe. 2) a powerful older woman. DERIVATIVES matriarchal adjective matriarchy noun. ORIGIN from Latin mater mother , on the false analogy of patriarch …   English terms dictionary

  • matriarch — [mā′trē ärk΄] n. [ MATRI + ARCH] 1. a mother who rules her family or tribe; specif., a woman who is head of a matriarchy 2. a highly respected elderly woman matriarchal [mā′trēär′kəl] adj …   English World dictionary

  • Matriarch — A matriarch, clan mother or chief is an autocratic female ruler of a human family, clan, or kinship, or of an animal grouping. The matriarch is usually the oldest female in an extended family. Her authority over the others, as well as their trust …   Wikipedia

  • matriarch — [[t]me͟ɪtriɑː(r)k[/t]] matriarchs 1) N COUNT A matriarch is a woman who rules in a society in which power passes from mother to daughter. 2) N COUNT A matriarch is an old and powerful female member of a family, for example a grandmother …   English dictionary

  • matriarch — UK [ˈmeɪtrɪˌɑː(r)k] / US [ˈmeɪtrɪˌɑrk] noun [countable] Word forms matriarch : singular matriarch plural matriarchs a female leader of a family or community …   English dictionary

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