materfamilias [ mey-ter-fuh-mil-ee-uh s ]
noun
1. the mother of a family.
WORDS RELATED TO MATERFAMILIAS
ancestor, antecedent, author, forerunner, founder, matriarch, originator, parent, patriarch, precursor, progenitor, relative, sire, ascendant, begetter, paterfamilias, primogenitor, procreator
See more synonyms on Thesaurus.com
Origin: 1750–60; < Latin; cf. paterfamilias
EXAMPLE SENTENCES FROM THE WEB FOR MATERFAMILIAS
In the first case, the wife became a materfamilias while in the second she was simply an uxor.
THE HISTORICAL CHILD|OSCAR CHRISMAN
The door opened at last, and Paterfamilias entered with
Materfamilias (whose headache was better), and followed by the candles.
IN THE YULE-LOG GLOW, BOOK II|VARIOUS
"The first time we ever travelled second-class in our lives," murmured Materfamilias.
LIPPINCOTT'S MAGAZINE, DECEMBER, 1885|VARIOUS
There is nothing to tell the materfamilias; and yet, at her first attempt, she fills the honey-pot to the requisite depth.
THE MASON-BEES|J. HENRI FABRE
And I, being vain (turn some people out of a room and you don't humble them properly), retort with—'materfamilias!'
THE LETTERS OF ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING, VOLUME II|ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING
Now YOU come up with a sentence (or fic? or graphic?) that best illustrates the word.