foundress
foundress Lexical Profile
foundress Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A woman who establishes, originates, or endows an institution, organization, settlement, or movement.
"St. Clare of Assisi is revered as the foundress of the Order of Poor Ladies, a monastic religious order for women."
A reproductive female social insect, such as a queen ant, wasp, or bee, that establishes a new colony.
"In the spring, the fertilized wasp foundress builds a small paper nest and raises her first brood of workers alone."
Word Nuance & Usage
In contemporary English, the gender-neutral term 'founder' is standard for people of any gender, while 'foundress' is chiefly used in historical or religious contexts (such as the founder of a convent or religious order) and in entomology.
• Rhymes for foundress
Word Origin & Etymology
Dating back to the 14th century, the word comes from Middle English 'foundresse', borrowed from Old French 'fonderesse', the feminine equivalent of 'fondeor' (founder), ultimately from Latin 'fundare' (to lay the bottom or foundation of).