Idioms for mother
mother of all,
the greatest or most notable example of: the mother of all mystery novels.
Origin of mother
1
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
OTHER WORDS FROM mother
moth·er·less, adjective moth·er·less·ness, noun un·moth·ered, adjectiveWords nearby mother
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.
Definition for mother (3 of 3)
mother
3
[ muhth -er ]
/ ˈmʌð ər /
noun Slang: Vulgar.
a person or thing that is very large, powerful, or impressive.
Origin of mother
3
First recorded in 1945–50; euphemistic shortening
Example sentences from the Web for mother
British Dictionary definitions for mother (1 of 2)
mother
1
/ (ˈmʌðə) /
noun
verb (tr)
to give birth to or produce
to nurture, protect, etc as a mother
Other words from mother
Related adjective: maternalDerived forms of mother
mothering, nounWord 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, adjectiveWord 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