Adjacent Words

Forefather definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

FOREF'ATHER, n. An ancestor; one who precedes another in the line of genealogy, in any degree; usually in a remote degree.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: the founder of a family; "keep the faith of our forefathers" [syn: forefather, father, sire]
2: person from an earlier time who contributed to the tradition shared by some group; "our forefathers brought forth a great nation"

Merriam Webster's

noun Date: 14th century 1. ancestor 1a 2. a person of an earlier period and common heritage

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. (usu. in pl.) 1 an ancestor. 2 a member of a past generation of a family or people.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Forefather Fore"fa`ther (?; 277), n. One who precedes another in the line of genealogy in any degree, but usually in a remote degree; an ancestor. Respecting your forefathers, you would have been taught to respect yourselves. --Burke. Forefathers' Day, the anniversary of the day (December 21) on which the Pilgrim Fathers landed at Plymouth, Massachusetts (1620). On account of a mistake in reckoning the change from Old Style to New Style, it has generally been celebrated on the 22d.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(forefathers) Your forefathers are your ancestors, especially your male ancestors. (LITERARY) They were determined to go back to the land of their forefathers. = forebear N-COUNT: usu pl, usu poss N

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

for'-fa-ther:

(1) 'abh ri'shon, "first father," "chief father," hence, "early ancestor": "turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers" (Jer 11:10).

(2) progonos, "born before," "ancestor": "whom I serve from my forefathers" (2Ti 1:3). It is translated "parents" (including grandparents) in 1Ti 5:4: "and to requite their parents."

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. Progenitor, ancestor, father, foregoer.