mother church
noun
a church from which other churches have had their origin or derived their authority.
a cathedral or a metropolitan church.
the church attended in one's youth or for the greater part of one's life.
Origin of mother church
Middle English word dating back to 1275–1325
Words nearby mother church
mothball,
mothballs,
mother,
mother carey's chicken,
mother cell,
mother church,
mother city,
mother country,
mother cyst,
mother earth,
mother figure