Foreladies

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Women who lived in an earlier period; female ancestors or predecessors in a family or group; women who held leadership or prominent roles in a past generation
2. Women belonging to previous generations; female forebears known for their historical significance; women who preceded others in social or familial contexts
3. Female ancestors from earlier times; women who came before in lineage or tradition; women recognized as pioneers or notable figures of the past

Etymology: "Foreladies" is simply the plural of "forelady," so its story is really the story of the word "forelady." That word is formed from "fore," meaning "before" or "earlier," and "lady," a term that has long described a woman of standing or a female head of household. Put together, a forelady is a woman who came before, whether in a family line or in a social or working setting. The plural follows the usual English pattern for nouns ending in "y" after a consonant: the "y" changes to "ie" and "s" is added. So "foreladies" names several such women at once, which suits the sense of a group of predecessors stretching back through the generations.

Synonyms: leading ladies, front ladies