mother

[ muhth-er ]

/ ˈmʌð ər /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR mother ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a female parent.

(often initial capital letter) one's female parent.

a mother-in-law, stepmother, or adoptive mother.

a term of address for a female parent or a woman having or regarded as having the status, function, or authority of a female parent.

a term of familiar address for an old or elderly woman.

mother superior.

a woman exercising control, influence, or authority like that of a mother: to be a mother to someone.

the qualities characteristic of a mother, as maternal affection: It is the mother in her showing itself.

something or someone that gives rise to or exercises protecting care over something else; origin or source.

(in disc recording) a mold from which stampers are made.

adjective

being a mother: a mother bird.

of, relating to, or characteristic of a mother: mother love.

derived from or as if from one's mother; native: his mother culture.

bearing a relation like that of a mother, as in being the origin, source, or protector: the mother company and its affiliates; the mother computer and its network of terminals.

verb (used with object)

to be the mother of; give origin or rise to.

to acknowledge oneself the author of; assume as one's own.

to care for or protect like a mother; act maternally toward.

verb (used without object)

to perform the tasks or duties of a female parent; act maternally: a woman with a need to mother.

Idioms for mother

mother of all, the greatest or most notable example of: the mother of all mystery novels.

Origin of mother

before 900; Middle English mother, moder, Old English mōdor; cognate with Dutch moeder, German Mutter, Old Norse mōthir, Latin māter, Greek mḗtēr, Sanskrit mātar-. As in father, th was substituted for d, possibly on the model of brother

SYNONYMS FOR mother

17 tend, nurse, mind, raise.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR mother ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM mother

moth·er·less, adjective moth·er·less·ness, noun un·moth·ered, adjective

Words nearby mother

moth mullein, moth orchid, moth-eaten, mothball, mothballs, mother, mother carey's chicken, mother cell, mother church, mother city, mother country

Definition for mother (2 of 3)

mother ²

[ muhth -er ]

/ ˈmʌð ər /

noun

a stringy, mucilaginous substance consisting of various bacteria, especially Mycoderma aceti, that forms on the surface of a fermenting liquid and causes fermentation when added to other liquids, as in changing wine or cider to vinegar.

Also called mother of vinegar.

Origin of mother

1530–40; probably special use of mother¹, but perhaps another word, akin to Dutch modder dregs, Middle Low German moder swampy land; see mud

Definition for mother (3 of 3)

mother ³

[ muhth -er ]

/ ˈmʌð ər /

noun Slang: Vulgar.

motherfucker.

a person or thing that is very large, powerful, or impressive.

Origin of mother

First recorded in 1945–50; euphemistic shortening

Example sentences from the Web for mother

Taraji manages to bring an equal measure of truth to the mother in her character.

‘Empire’ Review: Hip-Hop Musical Chairs with an Insane Soap Opera Twist |Judnick Mayard |January 8, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
Three on-the-record stories from a family: a mother and her daughters who came from Phoenix.

I Tried to Warn You About Sleazy Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein in 2003 |Vicky Ward |January 7, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
But my sources, my young women and their mother, heroically held firm.

I Tried to Warn You About Sleazy Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein in 2003 |Vicky Ward |January 7, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
I thought about the mother, her fear of the dark, of the harm she feared might come to her daughters.

I Tried to Warn You About Sleazy Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein in 2003 |Vicky Ward |January 7, 2015 |DAILY BEAST

Meanwhile two kids were taken from their mother when she flew back to the UK from Turkey.

Britain May Spy on Preschoolers Searching for Potential Jihadis |Nico Hines |January 7, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
The mother's mood may be read at a glance: she is showing in one of a thousand tender ways her motherly affection for her child.

The Madonna in Art |Estelle M. Hurll
There at that time lived Thorstein, Egil's son, his mother's brother.

Laxdla Saga |Anonymous
He ate because his mother filled his plate; but if he had been questioned, he could scarcely have told what he was eating.

Baron Trigault's Vengeance |Emile Gaboriau
If I was to write to my mother,' says he, 'that my wife had left me, I believe it would be the death of her.

The Land of Long Ago |Eliza Calvert Hall
In vain my mother took a world of trouble to explain the thing to me.

The Essays of "George Eliot" |George Eliot

British Dictionary definitions for mother (1 of 2)

mother ¹

/ (ˈmʌðə) /

noun

a female who has given birth to offspring
(as modifier)a mother bird

(often capital, esp as a term of address) a person's own mother

a female substituting in the function of a mother

(often capital) mainly archaic a term of address for an old woman

motherly qualities, such as maternal affectionit appealed to the mother in her
(as modifier)mother love
(in combination)mothercraft

a female or thing that creates, nurtures, protects, etc, something
(as modifier)mother church; mother earth

a title given to certain members of female religious orders mother superior

Christian Science God as the eternal Principle

(modifier) native or innate mother wit

offensive, taboo, slang, mainly US short for motherfucker offensive

be mother to pour the tea I'll be mother

the mother of all … informal the greatest example of its kind the mother of all parties

verb (tr)

to give birth to or produce

to nurture, protect, etc as a mother

Other words from mother

Related adjective: maternal

Derived forms of mother

mothering, noun

Word Origin for mother

Old English mōdor; compare Old Saxon mōdar, Old High German muotar, Latin māter, Greek mētēr

British Dictionary definitions for mother (2 of 2)

mother ²

/ (ˈmʌðə) /

noun

a stringy slime containing various bacteria that forms on the surface of liquids undergoing acetous fermentation. It can be added to wine, cider, etc to promote vinegar formation Also called: mother of vinegar

Derived forms of mother

mothery, adjective

Word Origin for mother

C16: perhaps from mother 1, but compare Spanish madre scum, Dutch modder dregs, Middle Low German modder decaying object, mudde sludge

Medical definitions for mother

mother

[ mŭð′ər ]

n.

A woman who conceives, gives birth to, or raises and nurtures a child.

A female parent of an animal.

A structure, such as a mother cell, from which other similar bodies are formed.

Idioms and Phrases with mother

mother

In addition to the idiom beginning with mother

mother of

also see:

necessity is the mother of invention

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

mother