matriarch
Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
matriarch /ˈmeɪtrɪɑːk/
▶noun a woman who is the head of a family or tribe.
■ an older woman who is powerful within a family or organization.
– derivatives
matriarchate noun.
matriarchate noun.
– origin C17: from L. mater ‘mother’, on the false analogy of patriarch.
'matriarch' also found in these Oxford entries:
