as in grandmother
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Recent Examples of ancestress
The intersection of these two facts does convince me that William's genealogical ancestress, Eliza Kewark, did have South Asian ancestry (not totally surprising even in notionally ethnically distinct groups like Armenians or Parsis who have been long resident in India).
—
Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 14 June 2013
Instead of being a reticulated mesh the genealogy of mtDNA is a clean and inverted elegant tree leading back to a common ancestress.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 17 Nov. 2010
Meanwhile, Alice, Dana’s ancestress, never becomes much more than a moral quandary: a stubborn victim who is unable to adapt.
—Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 8 Mar. 2021
Yang Asha is the mythical ancestress of the Miao people, an ethnic minority in China closely related to the Hmong of Southeast Asia.
—Keith Bradsher, New York Times, 26 Nov. 2020
His own mother, aged ninety, who remembered her aunt, had been able to share stories of their ancestress with the grandchildren who’d had no idea, before now, what their background might be.
—Susan Choi, Harper's magazine, 6 Jan. 2020
Enshrined at Kashikodokoro is the sun goddess Amaterasu, the mythological ancestress of Japan’s emperors.
—Washington Post, 22 Oct. 2019
Enshrined at Kashikodokoro is the sun goddess Amaterasu, the mythological ancestress of Japan's emperors.
—NBC News, 22 Oct. 2019
Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 14 June 2013
Instead of being a reticulated mesh the genealogy of mtDNA is a clean and inverted elegant tree leading back to a common ancestress.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 17 Nov. 2010
Meanwhile, Alice, Dana’s ancestress, never becomes much more than a moral quandary: a stubborn victim who is unable to adapt.
—Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 8 Mar. 2021
Yang Asha is the mythical ancestress of the Miao people, an ethnic minority in China closely related to the Hmong of Southeast Asia.
—Keith Bradsher, New York Times, 26 Nov. 2020
His own mother, aged ninety, who remembered her aunt, had been able to share stories of their ancestress with the grandchildren who’d had no idea, before now, what their background might be.
—Susan Choi, Harper's magazine, 6 Jan. 2020
Enshrined at Kashikodokoro is the sun goddess Amaterasu, the mythological ancestress of Japan’s emperors.
—Washington Post, 22 Oct. 2019
Enshrined at Kashikodokoro is the sun goddess Amaterasu, the mythological ancestress of Japan's emperors.
—NBC News, 22 Oct. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ancestress
Noun
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Other than Hao and Liang’s ailing grandmother (Bella Chen), the island seems all but deserted: a reserve of ghosts, perhaps, their timelines crossed and blurred.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
26 Feb. 2025
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These are the questions that swirl as we’re introduced to the life of Johanne, a 17 year-old who’s been brought up by her mother, Kristin (Ane Dahl Torp), and grandmother, Karin (Anne Marit Jacobsen), and came of age amidst the global COVID-19 pandemic.—
Harrison Richlin,
IndieWire,
24 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Then the fire last month destroyed nearly everything inside the house: the handwritten letters from Ms. Edmiston’s father, who was once the mayor of Beverly Hills; a tin menorah that her ancestors brought from Russia and Poland; and, of course, nearly all the cookie jars.—
Corina Knoll,
New York Times,
22 Feb. 2025
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Because of this, many scientists believed that early and classic Neanderthals had a lower genetic diversity than their pre-Neanderthal ancestors.—
Discover Magazine,
Discover Magazine,
21 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Journalism is part of my heritage: My great great grandfather was a Civil War correspondent for the Chicago Tribune.—
Laura Begley Bloom,
Forbes,
1 Mar. 2025
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Brown, whose father and grandfather were both combat veterans, has held multiple combat commands and logged 130 combat hours as a fighter pilot.—
Orlando Sentinel and South Florida Sun Sentinel Editorial Boards,
Orlando Sentinel,
28 Feb. 2025
Noun
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After her father King George VI brought home a corgi named Dookie from a local kennel, the late monarch received a dog for her 18th birthday named Susan — who went on to be the matriarch of a long line of royal dogs.—
Stephanie Petit,
People.com,
25 Feb. 2025
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The 1923 cast also includes Helen Mirren as Cara Dutton, Jacob’s wife and the matriarch of the ranch.—
Jason Pham,
StyleCaster,
21 Feb. 2025
Noun
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This evidence for the presence of liquid water on the ancient body from which Bennu formed provides a tantalizing possibility: the possibility that Bennu’s progenitor may have seen the first stirrings of life.—
Tom Hawking,
Popular Science,
29 Jan. 2025
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Through this latest venture with LG, consumers of his work are exposed to his commitment to innovation, solidifying his position as a progenitor in both the entertainment and tech industries.—
Ime Ekpo,
Forbes,
10 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Carter Woodson’s last name indicates a forebear was John Woodson, an English immigrant at the dawn of America and an owner of enslaved Africans.—
Ron Grossman,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Feb. 2025
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Ever since the singer entered the pantheon of famous blondes, she’s been quick to reference her forebears through fashion.—
Hannah Jackson,
Vogue,
11 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Through our hair and its many rituals, remain the herbalism of our foremothers in the new world, passing down their ingenuity of homemade balms, creams, and oils for hair growth.—
Eshe Ukweli,
refinery29.com,
7 June 2023
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In fact, precursors to modern bleaching processes didn’t come on the scene until the turn of the 20th century, leaving our foremothers and forefathers plenty of time to get creative with their blonde pursuits.—
AJ Willingham,
CNN,
28 May 2023
Noun
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Trapping has evolved quite a bit since our forefathers first set out for beaver in the 1800s.—
Skye Goode,
Outdoor Life,
27 Feb. 2025
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The boy’s sensitivities — and love of reading — mark him out for a different path than the field work of his forefathers.—
Nicolas Rapold,
Deadline,
14 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ancestress.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ancestress. Accessed 6 Mar. 2025.
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