# highfather

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈhaɪ ˌfɑːðə/

## Definitions
1. A respected, high-ranking male elder or leader; a patriarch; a forefather; a grandfather.

## Etymology
Perhaps from Middle English hehfader, heahfeder, from Old English hēahfæder (“patriarch”, literally “high-father”); or perhaps a direct borrowing of the Old English word, equivalent to high + father.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/highfather