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Definition mother

Etymology 1

From Middle English moder, from Old English m?dor, from Proto-Germanic *m?d?r (compare West Frisian moer, Saterland Frisian Muur, Dutch moeder, German Mutter, Danish moder, Norwegian mor), from Proto-Indo-European *méh?t?r (compare Irish máthair, Latin mater, Albanian motër (“sister”), Tocharian A m?car, Tocharian B m?cer, Lithuanian mót?, Russian ???? (mat?), Ancient Greek ????? (m?t?r), Armenian ???? (mayr), Persian ????‎ (mâdar), Sanskrit ???? (m??t?)). Superseded non-native Middle English mere (“mother”) borrowed from Old French mere (“mother”).

Some authorities consider the sense "greatest thing of its kind" to be a calque of Arabic ????‎ (?umm, “mother”), but others do not and other familial terms are also used this way, e.g. granddaddy.

Noun

mother (plural mothers)

1. A (human) female who has given birth to a baby
2. A human female who parents an adopted or fostered child
3. A human female who donates a fertilized egg or donates a body cell which has resulted in a clone.
4. A pregnant female, possibly as a shortened form of mother-to-be.
5. A female parent of an animal.
6. (figuratively) A female ancestor.
7. (figuratively) A source or origin.
8. Something that is the greatest or most significant of its kind. (See mother of all.)
9. (when followed by a surname) A title of respect for one's mother-in-law.
10. (figuratively) Any elderly woman, especially within a particular community.
11. (figuratively) Any person or entity which performs mothering.
12. The principal piece of an astrolabe, into which the others are fixed.
13. The female superior or head of a religious house; an abbess, etc.
14. (obsolete) Hysterical passion; hysteria.

Etymology 2

From Middle English modren, from the noun (see above).

Verb

mother (third-person singular simple present mothers, present participle mothering, simple past and past participle mothered)

1. (chiefly transitive) To give birth to or produce (as its female parent) a child. (Compare father.)
2. (transitive) To treat as a mother would be expected to treat her child; to nurture.

Etymology 3

Ultimately from Proto-Germanic *muþraz (“sediment”), perhaps through intermediate Middle Dutch modder (“filth, dregs”).

Noun

mother (plural mothers)

1. A stringy, mucilaginous or film- or membrane-like substance (consisting of acetobacters) which develops in fermenting alcoholic liquids (such as wine, or cider), and turns the alcohol into acetic acid with the help of oxygen from the air.

Verb

mother (third-person singular simple present mothers, present participle mothering, simple past and past participle mothered)

1. (transitive) To cause to contain mother (“that substance which develops in fermenting alcohol and turns it into vinegar”).
2. (intransitive, of an alcohol) To develop mother.

Etymology 4

Clipping of motherfucker

Noun

mother (plural mothers)

1. (euphemistic, vulgar, slang) Motherfucker.
2. (euphemistic, colloquial) A striking example.

Etymology 5

Coined from moth by analogy to mouser.

Noun

mother (plural mothers)

1. Alternative form of moth-er

Results 494 Words with the letters MOTHER

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