The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Paterfamilias \Pa`ter*fa*mil`i*as\, n.; pl. Pateresfamilias.
   [L., fr. pater father + familias, gen. of familia family.]
   (Rom. Law)
   The head of a family; in a large sense, the proprietor of an
   estate; one who is his own master.
   [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

paterfamilias
    n 1: the male head of family or tribe [syn: patriarch,
         paterfamilias]

Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

44 Moby Thesaurus words for "paterfamilias":
   abba, boss, bwana, chef, chief, church dignitary, dad, daddy,
   ecclesiarch, elder, employer, father, foster father, genitor,
   goodman, governor, guru, husband, liege, liege lord, lord,
   lord paramount, master, overlord, pa, padrone, pap, papa, pappy,
   paramount, pater, patriarch, patron, pop, pops, rabbi, sahib,
   seigneur, seignior, sire, starets, stepfather, teacher,
   the old man