A female ancestor, especially a notable woman from an earlier generation who established something important for those who came after.
From 'fore-' (before, past) + 'mother'. This parallels 'forefathers' and emerged in English when people wanted to specifically acknowledge female ancestors' contributions.
'Foremother' is a political term as much as a genealogical one—it became prominent in feminist discourse as women deliberately claimed their female ancestors' legacies rather than being erased into the term 'forefathers.'
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