noun.
A person who is from an earlier time and has originated or contributed to a common tradition shared by a particular group.
The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
noun.
An ancestor; one who precedes another in the line of genealogy in any degree, but usually in a remote degree.
the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English
noun.
One who precedes another in the line of genealogy in any degree, but usually in a remote degree; an ancestor.
noun.
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.
noun.Cultural ancestor; one who originated an idea or tradition.
WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
noun.
the founder of a family
noun.
person from an earlier time who contributed to the tradition shared by some group
Word Usage
"Take, for example, the fact that while Lovecraft is usually described as a forefather of modern horror fiction, his stories are, to put it bluntly, not very scary."