Nearby Words
noun, plural pa·ter·fa·mil·i·as·es for 1, pa·tres·fa·mil·i·as 
[pey-treez-fuh-mil-ee-uhs, pah-, pa-] for 2.
[pey-treez-fuh-mil-ee-uhs, pah-, pa-] for 2. 1.
the male head of a household or family, usually the father.
2.
Roman Law.
a.
the head of the Roman family; a juridical entity who holds the patria potestas.
b.
a person who is not under the patria potestas of another.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Link To paterfamilias
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Paterfamilias
has a plethora of syllables.
So is pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis. Does it mean:
| an obscure term ostensibly referring to a lung disease caused by silica dust, sometimes cited as one of the longest words in the English language. |
| opposition to the withdrawal of state support or recognition from an established church, esp. the Anglican Church in 19th-century England. |
Collins
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
paterfamilias
c.1430, from L., lit. "master of a house, head of a family," from pater "father" + familias, old gen. of familia "family."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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