matriarch Hear it!

matriarch definition

ma·tri·arch (mā′trē ärk′)

noun

  1. a mother who rules her family or tribe; specif., a woman who is head of a matriarchy
  2. a highly respected elderly woman

Etymology: matri- + -arch

Related Forms:

  • matriarchal ma′·tri·ar′chal (-är′kəl) adjective

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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