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Matriarch

//ˈmeɪtɹiɑɹk// noun

Definitions

Noun

1
A female leader of a family, a tribe or an ethnic or religious group.; The dominant female in a family group of elephants
2
a female head of a family or tribe wordnet
3
A female leader of a family, a tribe or an ethnic or religious group.; A strong and domineering older woman; a battle axe. Northern-England
"A typical Lancashire matriarch ushers the reassured townsfolk off the premises, confident that her money is safe: 'You don't deserve any business doubting t' Co-op. It's sound enough, and them that doubt it ought to be ashamed of themselves.'"
4
a feisty older woman with a big bosom (as drawn in cartoons) wordnet
5
A female founder of a political or religious movement, an organization or an enterprise.

Etymology

Of Latin origin, via or reinforced by Old French matriarche, from Latin māter (“mother”) + -archa, -arches, from Ancient Greek -άρχης (-árkhēs), from ἀρχός (arkhós, “chief”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ergʰ- (“to begin, rule, command”). By surface analysis, matri- + -arch.

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