mother

/ˈmʌðər/

/ˈmʌðə/

Other forms: mothers; mothering; mothered

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.

Definitions of mother

1. noun

   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:

   father

   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

   types:

   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
2. noun

   a term of address for an elderly woman
   type of:

   old woman

   a woman who is old
3. noun

   a term of address for a mother superior
   type of:

   abbess, mother superior, prioress

   the superior of a group of nuns
4. verb

   care for like a mother
   synonyms: fuss, overprotect

   type of:

   care, give care

   provide care for
5. verb

   make children
   synonyms: beget, bring forth, engender, father, generate, get, sire

   type of:

   create, make

   make or cause to be or to become
6. noun

   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
7. noun

   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