Mother

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /ˈmʌðə(ɹ)/, ˈmɐðə(ɹ)
• US IPA: /ˈmʌðɚ/
• Rhymes: -ʌðə(r)
• Hyphenation: moth + er

From Middle English moder, from Old English mōdor, from Proto-Germanic *mōdēr (compare West Frisian moer, Saterland Frisian Muur, Dutch moeder, German Mutter, Danish moder), from Proto-Indo-European *méh₂tēr (compare Irish máthair, Latin mater, Albanian motër ("sister"), Tocharian A mācar, B mācer, Lithuanian mótė, Russian мать, Greek μητέρα, Armenian մայր, Persian مادر, Sanskrit मातृ).

Full definition of mother

Noun

1. A (human) female who (a) parents a child (b) gives birth to a baby (c) donates a fertilized egg or (d) donates a body cell which has resulted in a clone. Sometimes used in reference to a pregnant female, possibly as a shortened form of mother-to-be.I am visiting my mother^(a) today. — ''My sister-in-law has just become a mother.

• 1988, Robert Ferro, Second Son,He had something of his mother in him, but this was because he realized that in the end only her love was unconditional, and in gratitude he had emulated her.
• 1991, Susan Faludi, The Undeclared War Against American Women,The antiabortion iconography in the last decade featured the fetus but never the mother.
1. A female parent of an animal.The lioness was a mother of four cubs.
2. (figuratively) A female ancestor.
• 1525, William Tyndale, , ,And Ada^Adam called his wyfe Heua

• 1844, Thomas Arnold, Fragment on the Church, Volume 1, page 17,But one in the place of God and not God, is as it were a falsehood; it is the mother falsehood from which all idolatry is derived.
1. (figuratively) A source or origin.The Mediterranean was mother to many cultures and languages.
• 1606, William Shakespeare, , Act 4, Scene 3, 1866, George Steevens (editor), The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, page 278,Alas, poor country:
  Almost afraid to know itself! It cannot
  Be call'd our mother, but our grave:
• 1844, Thomas Arnold, Fragment on the Church, Volume 1, page 17,But one in the place of God and not God, is as it were a falsehood; it is the mother falsehood from which all idolatry is derived.
2. (when followed by a surname) A title of respect for one's mother-in-law.Mother Smith, meet my cousin, Doug Jones.
3. (figuratively) Any elderly woman, especially within a particular community.
4. (figuratively) Any person or entity which performs mothering.
• The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, until that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel. –Judges 5:7, KJV.
• Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. –Galatians 4:26, KJV.
5. A film or membrane which is developed on the surface of fermented alcoholic liquids, such as vinegar, wine, etc., and acts as a means of conveying the oxygen of the air to the alcohol and other combustible principles of the liquid, thus leading to their oxidation.
6. The principal piece of an astrolabe, into which the others are fixed.
7. The female superior or head of a religious house; an abbess, etc.
8. (obsolete) Hysterical passion; hysteria.

Synonyms

• (one’s female parent) See also
• (of or pertaining to the mother, such as metropolis) metro-

Antonyms

• with regards to gender father
• with regards to ancestry daughter, son, child

Hypernyms

• (a female parent) parent

Coordinate terms

• (a female parent) father

Derived terms

Verb

1. (transitive) To treat as a mother would be expected to treat her child; to nurture.
• circa 1900 O. Henry, She had seen fewer years than any of us, but she was of such superb Evehood and simplicity that she mothered us from the beginning.

Calque of Arabic أم (’umm, "mother").

Noun

1. Something that is the greatest or most significant of its kind."The great duel, the mother of all battles has begun." — Saddam Hussein

Related terms

• mother of all

Shortened from motherfucker

Alternative forms

• mutha

Noun

1. (euphemistic, coarse, slang) Motherfucker.
2. (euphemistic, colloquial) A striking example.
• 1964, Richard L. Newhafer, The last tallyho, November, 1943 If ever, Cortney Anders promised himself, I get out of this mother of a thunderstorm there is a thing I will do if it is the last act of my life.
• 1980, Chester Anderson, Fox & hare: the story of a Friday night‎, Some hot night there's gonna be one mother of a riot down here. Just wait." He'd been saying the same thing since 1958, five years of crying wolf.
• 2004, Nov, Rajnar Vajra, The Ghost Within, Basically, we wind up with a program. One mother of a complex application.
• 2006, Elizabeth Robinson, The true and outstanding adventures of the Hunt sisters, Josh, whose fleshy face resembles a rhino's - beady wide-set eyes blinking between a mother of a snout

Synonyms

• MF, mofo, motherfucker, mutha

Pronunciation

• UK
• IPA: /ˈmɒðə/, /ˈmɒθə/
• US

• IPA: /ˈmɔðɚ/, /ˈmɔθɚ/

• IPA: /ˈmɒðɚ/, /ˈmɒθɚ/

• IPA: /ˈmɑðɚ/, /ˈmɑθɚ/
• Rhymes: -ɒðə(r), -ɒθə(r)

Coined from moth by analogy to mouser.

Alternative forms

• moth-er

Noun

1. (nonstandard) A cat that catches moths.

Usage notes

Because of the spelling mother, the alternative hyphenated spelling moth-er may be used to avoid ambiguity.