mother
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moth·er 1
(mŭth′ər)n.
1.
a. A woman who gives birth to a child.
b. A woman whose egg unites with a sperm, producing an embryo.
c. A woman who adopts a child.
d. A woman who raises a child.
2. A female parent of an animal.
3. A female ancestor.
4. A woman who holds a position of authority or responsibility similar to that of a mother: a den mother.
5. Roman Catholic Church
a. A mother superior.
b. Used as a form of address for such a woman.
6. A woman who creates, originates, or founds something: "the discovery of radium, which made Marie Curie mother to the Atomic Age" (Alden Whitman).
7. A creative source; an origin: Philosophy is the mother of the sciences.
8. Used as a title for a woman respected for her wisdom and age.
9. Maternal love and tenderness: brought out the mother in her.
10. The biggest or most significant example of its kind: the mother of all battles.
11. Vulgar Slang Something considered extraordinary, as in disagreeableness, size, or intensity.
adj.
1. Relating to or being a mother.
2. Characteristic of a mother: mother love.
3. Being the source or origin: the mother church.
4. Derived from or as if from one's mother; native: one's mother language.
v. moth·ered, moth·er·ing, moth·ers
v.tr.
1.
a. To give birth to: mothered three children.
b. To be the source of; create or produce: "Necessity mothered the invention of printing" (Irving Wallace).
2. To act as mother to, as in nourishing and protecting.
v.intr.
To act or serve as a mother.
[Middle English moder, mother, from Old English mōdor; see māter- in Indo-European roots. N., sense 10, translation of Iraqi Arabic 'umm. N., sense 11, short for motherfucker.]
moth·er 2
(mŭth′ər)n.
A stringy slime composed of yeast cells and bacteria that forms on the surface of fermenting liquids and is added to wine or cider to start the production of vinegar.
[Probably alteration (influenced by mother) of obsolete Dutch moeder, from Middle Dutch, probably from moeder, mother of children; see māter- in Indo-European roots.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
mother
(ˈmʌðə)n
1. (Biology)
a. a female who has given birth to offspring
b. (as modifier): a mother bird.
2. (often capital, esp as a term of address) a person's own mother
3. a female substituting in the function of a mother
4. (often capital) chiefly archaic a term of address for an old woman
5.
a. motherly qualities, such as maternal affection: it appealed to the mother in her.
b. (as modifier): mother love.
c. (in combination): mothercraft.
6.
a. a female or thing that creates, nurtures, protects, etc, something
b. (as modifier): mother church; mother earth.
7. (Ecclesiastical Terms) a title given to certain members of female religious orders: mother superior.
8. (Ecclesiastical Terms) Christian Science God as the eternal Principle
9. (modifier) native or innate: mother wit.
10. taboo slang chiefly US short for motherfucker
11. be mother to pour the tea: I'll be mother.
12. the mother of all … informal the greatest example of its kind: the mother of all parties.
vb (tr)
13. (Biology) to give birth to or produce
14. to nurture, protect, etc as a mother
[Old English mōdor; compare Old Saxon mōdar, Old High German muotar, Latin māter, Greek mētēr]
ˈmothering n
mother
(ˈmʌðə)n
(Brewing) 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
[C16: perhaps from mother1, but compare Spanish madre scum, Dutch modder dregs, Middle Low German modder decaying object, mudde sludge]
ˈmothery adj
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
moth•er1
(ˈmʌð ər)n.
1. a female who has borne offspring; female parent.
2. (often cap.) one's own mother.
3. a mother-in-law, stepmother, adoptive mother, or foster mother.
4. a woman looked upon as a mother, or exercising authority like that of a mother.
5. a term of familiar address for an elderly woman.
6. the qualities characteristic of a mother, as maternal affection.
7. something that gives rise to or exercises protective care over something else.
adj. 9. being a mother: a mother bird.
10. pertaining to or characteristic of a mother: mother love.
11. derived from or as if from one's mother; native: his mother culture.
12. bearing a relation like that of a mother, as in being the origin, source, or protector: a mother church.
v.t. 13. to be the mother of.
14. to give origin or rise to.
15. to care for or protect like a mother.
[before 900; Middle English mother, moder, Old English mōdor; c. Old Frisian, Old Saxon mōdar, Old High German muotar, Latin māter, Greek mḗtēr, Skt mātar-]
moth′er•less, adj.
moth•er2
(ˈmʌð ər)n.
a stringy, viscid film of yeast cells and various bacteria that forms on a fermenting liquid and is used to ferment other liquids, as in changing cider to vinegar.
[1530–40; perhaps identical with mother1, but compare Dutch modder dregs, Middle Low German moder swampy land]
moth•er3
(ˈmʌð ər)n. Slang: Sometimes Vulgar.
2. a person or thing that is very large, powerful, or impressive.
[1930–35]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
Mother
a system of social order wherein final authority is vested in the mother or eldest female and in which descent is reckoned in the female line. — matriarchal, adj.
tending to move toward or centering upon the mother.
1. the killing of one’s mother.
2. one who has killed his mother. — matricidal, adj.
2. one who has killed his mother. — matricidal, adj.
tracing of descent through the mother’s side of a family. — matrilinear, adj.
an excessive attachment and devotion of children to their mothers, resulting in a child’s dependence and failure to achieve emotional emancipation.
-Ologies & -Isms. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
mother
Past participle: mothered
Gerund: mothering
| Imperative |
|---|
| mother |
| mother |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Noun | 1. |  mother - a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother); "the mother of three children"mater - an informal use of the Latin word for mother; sometimes used by British schoolboys or used facetiously mother-in-law - the mother of your spouse parent - a father or mother; one who begets or one who gives birth to or nurtures and raises a child; a relative who plays the role of guardian puerpera - a woman in childbirth or shortly thereafter quadripara - (obstetrics) woman who has given birth to a viable infant in each of four pregnancies quintipara - (obstetrics) woman who has given birth to a viable infant in each of five pregnancies supermom - an informal term for a mother who can combine childcare and full-time employment surrogate mother - a woman who bears a child for a couple where the wife is unable to do so; "a surrogate mother is artificially inseminated with the father's semen and carries the fetus to term" begetter, father, male parent - a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father); "his father was born in Atlanta" |
| 2. | mother - a stringy slimy substance consisting of yeast cells and bacteria; forms during fermentation and is added to cider or wine to produce vinegar | |
| 3. | mother - a term of address for an elderly woman old woman - a woman who is old | |
| 4. | mother - a term of address for a mother superior | |
| 5. | mother - a condition that is the inspiration for an activity or situation; "necessity is the mother of invention" inspiration - arousal of the mind to special unusual activity or creativity | |
| Verb | 1. | mother - care for like a mother; "She fusses over her husband" |
| 2. |  mother - make children; "Abraham begot Isaac"; "Men often father children but don't recognize them" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
mother
noun
1. female parent, mum (Brit. informal), ma (informal), mater, dam, old woman (informal), mom (U.S. informal), mummy (Brit. informal), old lady (informal), foster mother, birth mother, biological mother Mother and child form a close attachment.
2. wellspring, source, origin, inspiration, stimulus, fountain, genesis, fount Necessity is the mother of invention.
verb
1. give birth to, produce, bear, bring forth, drop She had dreamed of mothering a large family.
2. nurture, raise, protect, tend, nurse, rear, care for, cherish She felt a great need to mother him.
3. pamper, baby, spoil, indulge, fuss over, cosset, mollycoddle, overprotect Don't mother me!
Related words
adjective maternal
adjective maternal
Quotations
"So for the mother's sake the child was dear"
"And dearer was the mother for the child" [Samuel Taylor Coleridge `Sonnet to a Friend Who Asked How I Felt When the Nurse First Presented My Infant Child to Me']
"Honour thy mother and thy father" Bible:Exodus
"As is the mother, so is her daughter" Bible: Ezekiel
"All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. No man does. That is his" [Oscar Wilde The Importance of Being Earnest]
"So for the mother's sake the child was dear"
"And dearer was the mother for the child" [Samuel Taylor Coleridge `Sonnet to a Friend Who Asked How I Felt When the Nurse First Presented My Infant Child to Me']
"Honour thy mother and thy father" Bible:Exodus
"As is the mother, so is her daughter" Bible: Ezekiel
"All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. No man does. That is his" [Oscar Wilde The Importance of Being Earnest]
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
mother
noun1. A person from whom one is descended:
Archaic: predecessor.
2. A point of origination:
beginning, derivation, fount, fountain, fountainhead, origin, parent, provenance, provenience, root, rootstock, source, spring, well.
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
mamoeder
أمأُماُمٌّتَعْتَني عِنايَة الأمرَئيسة دَيْر، الأم الرِّئيسَه
майка
mare
matkamatka představenámateřskýmateřsky pečovat
mor=-morabbedissemoder
patrino
ema
مادر
äiti
אֵם
majkamati
anyaanyáskodikfejedelemasszony
bundaibu
abbadís, forstöîukonaannast sem móîirmammamóðirmóîir
母お母さんママ
어머니엄마
matermaximus
motinamotiniškai prižiūrėtimotiniškumasnašlaitisperlamutras
māterūpēties kā mātei
അമ്മ
mamă
matkamatka predstavenámatersky sa starať
mati
majkamatmatermatirođenica
mormoder
mamamzazi
แม่มารดา
мати
mẹnuôinuôi nấngchăm sóc
mother
[ˈmʌðəʳ]B. VT (= care for) → cuidar como una madre; (= spoil) → mimar, consentir; (= give birth to) → parir, dar a luz
C. CPD mother country N → patria f; (more sentimentally) → madre patria f
Mother Earth N → la madre tierra
mother figure N → figura f materna, figura f de la madre
Mother Goose N → la Oca
mother hen N → gallina f madre
mother love N → amor m maternal
Mother Nature N → la madre f Naturaleza
Mother's Day N → Día m de la Madre
mother's help N → niñera f
mother ship N → buque m nodriza
Mother Superior N → madre f superiora
mother tongue N → lengua f materna
Mother Earth N → la madre tierra
mother figure N → figura f materna, figura f de la madre
Mother Goose N → la Oca
mother hen N → gallina f madre
mother love N → amor m maternal
Mother Nature N → la madre f Naturaleza
Mother's Day N → Día m de la Madre
mother's help N → niñera f
mother ship N → buque m nodriza
Mother Superior N → madre f superiora
mother tongue N → lengua f materna
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
mother
[ˈmʌðər] n
vt
(= look after) → s'occuper de
to be mothered (= looked after by a mother) → être pris(e) en charge par sa mère
to be mothered (= looked after by a mother) → être pris(e) en charge par sa mère
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
mother
n
→ Mutter f; (= animal) → Muttertier nt, → Mutter f; (= address to elderly lady) → Mütterchen; Mother of God → Muttergottes f, → Mutter f → Gottes; a mother’s love → Mutterliebe f; she’s a mother of three → sie hat drei Kinder; she’s her mother’s daughter → sie ist wie ihre Mutter; I had the mother and father of a headache (inf) → ich hatte vielleicht Kopfschmerzen!; the mother of all battles/confrontations/traffic jams → die Mutter aller Kriege/Auseinandersetzungen/Staus; shall I be mother? (inf) (= pour tea) → soll ich eingießen?; (= serve food) → soll ich austeilen?
vt (= care for) young → auf- or großziehen; (= give birth to) → zur Welt bringen; (= cosset) → bemuttern
mother
:motherboard
n (Comput) → Mutterplatine f, → Hauptplatine f
mother country
mothercraft
n → Kinderpflege f
mother figure
n → Mutterfigur f
motherfucker
n (US vulg) → Arschloch nt (vulg), → Arschficker m (vulg)
motherfucking
adj (US vulg) → Scheiß- (sl)
motherhood
n → Mutterschaft f
mother
:mother-in-law
n pl <mothers-in-law> → Schwiegermutter f
motherland
motherless
mother lode
n (Min) → Hauptader f
mother love
n → Mutterliebe f
mother
:mother ship
n → Mutterschiff nt
mother tie
n (Psych) → Mutterbindung f
mother tongue
n → Muttersprache f
mother wit
n → Mutterwitz m
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
mother
[ˈmʌðəʳ]1. n → madre f
2. vt (care for) → fare da madre a; (spoil) → essere troppo chioccia con
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
mother
(ˈmaðə) noun1. a female parent, especially human. John's mother lives in Manchester; (also adjective) The mother bird feeds her young.
2. (often with capital. also Mother Superior) the female leader of a group of nuns.
verb to care for as a mother does; to protect (sometimes too much). His wife tries to mother him.
ˈmotherhood noun the state of being a mother.
ˈmotherless adjective having no mother. The children were left motherless by the accident.
ˈmotherly adjective like a mother; of, or suitable to, a mother. a motherly woman; motherly love.
ˈmotherliness nounˈmother-country, ˈmotherland (-land) nouns
the country where one was born.
ˈmother-in-law – plural ˈmothers-in-law – noun the mother of one's husband or wife.
ˌmother-of-ˈpearl noun, adjective (of) the shining, hard, smooth substance on the inside of certain shells.
ˈmother-tongue noun a person's native language. My mother-tongue is Hindi.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
mother
→ اُمٌّ matka mor Mutter μητέρα madre äiti mère majka madre 母 어머니 moeder mor matka mãe мать mor แม่ anne mẹ 母亲Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
moth·er
n. madre, mamá.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
mother
n madre f; surrogate — madre sustituta or portadoraEnglish-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.