Mother Definition
mŭthər
mothered, mothering, mothers
noun
mothers
A woman whose egg unites with a sperm, producing an embryo.
American Heritage Medicine
A stepmother.
Webster's New World
A woman who has borne a child; esp., a woman as she is related to her child or children.
Webster's New World
An adoptive mother.
Webster's New World
That which gives birth to something, is the origin or source of something, or nurtures in the manner of a mother.
Webster's New World
Antonyms:
adjective
Relating to or being a mother.
American Heritage
Of, like, or like that of a mother.
Webster's New World
Derived or learned from or as if from one's mother; native.
English is her mother tongue.
Webster's New World
Designating a company, institution, etc. from which another or others originated.
Mother church.
Webster's New World
Being the source or origin.
The mother church.
American Heritage
Synonyms:
- matroclinous
- matroclinic
- matroclinal
- matripotestal
- matrilinear
- matrilateral
- matriarchal
- maternalistic
- maternal
verb
mothered, mothering, mothers
To be the mother of; give birth to.
Webster's New World
To be the source of; create or produce.
American Heritage
To act as mother to, as in nourishing and protecting.
American Heritage
To look after or care for as a mother does.
Webster's New World
Antonyms:
idiom
the mother of all
- something regarded as the biggest, most impressive, or most important of (its kind)
Webster's New World
Other Word Forms of Mother
Noun
Singular:
motherPlural:
mothersIdioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to Mother
- the mother of all
Origin of Mother
-
Probably alteration (influenced by mother) of obsolete Dutch moeder from Middle Dutch probably from moeder mother of children māter- in Indo-European roots
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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