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mother

A mother is a female parent: mothers nurture and mother children. It's also a term for an elderly woman or mother superior.

Your mother is the woman who gave birth to you: mothers are parents, the female equivalent of a father. Besides biological mothers, there are stepmothers and adopted mothers: they all do mothering, which means taking care of children (or, sometimes, being overprotective of children). Oddly enough, a mother is also slimy substance that forms during the fermentation of wine or cider. But in any case, mothers give and sustain life.

PRIMARY MEANINGS OF: mother

1
 nv
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
care for like a mother
2
 n
a condition that is the inspiration for an activity or situation
3
 n
a stringy slimy substance consisting of yeast cells and bacteria; forms during fermentation and is added to cider or wine to produce vinegar
FULL DEFINITIONS OF: mother
1

n a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

“the mother of three children”
Synonyms:
female parent
Antonyms:
begetter, father, male parent
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
Examples:
Blessed Virgin
the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics
Naomi
the mother-in-law of Ruth whose story is told in the Book of Ruth in the Old Testament
Types:
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ma, mama, mamma, mammy, mom, momma, mommy, mum, mummy
informal terms for a mother
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
para I, primipara
(obstetrics) woman who has been delivered of a child for the first time
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
Type of:
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

n a term of address for an elderly woman

Type of:
old woman
a woman who is old

n a term of address for a mother superior

Type of:
abbess, mother superior, prioress
the superior of a group of nuns

v care for like a mother

Synonyms:
fuss, overprotect
Type of:
care, give care
provide care for

v make children

Synonyms:
beget, bring forth, engender, father, generate, get, sire
Type of:
create, make
make or cause to be or to become
2

n a condition that is the inspiration for an activity or situation

“necessity is the mother of invention”
Type of:
inspiration
arousal of the mind to special unusual activity or creativity
3

n a stringy slimy substance consisting of yeast cells and bacteria; forms during fermentation and is added to cider or wine to produce vinegar

Type of:
barm, yeast
a commercial leavening agent containing yeast cells; used to raise the dough in making bread and for fermenting beer or whiskey
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