forebear

/ˌfɔrˈbɛər/

/ˈfɔbɛ/

Other forms: forebears

Your father, grandmother, and great grandfather are all your forebears. A forebear is an ancestor, or someone you are descended from.

You might have thought that forebear means to stop yourself from doing something. The word you are thinking of is forbear. Confused? The "e" makes all of the difference here. Whereas the first is a noun, the second is a verb. Just remember that if you see fore like in before, it's the people who came before you.

Definitions of forebear

1. noun

   a person from whom you are descended
   synonyms: forbear

   types:

   grandparent

   a parent of your father or mother

   great grandparent

   a parent of your grandparent

   gramps, grandad, granddad, granddaddy, grandfather, grandpa

   the father of your father or mother

   gran, grandma, grandmother, grannie, granny, nan, nanna

   the mother of your father or mother

   great grandmother

   a mother of your grandparent

   great grandfather

   a father of your grandparent

   type of:

   ancestor, antecedent, ascendant, ascendent, root

   someone from whom you are descended (but usually more remote than a grandparent)