mother1

[muhth -er] /ˈmʌð ər/
noun
1.
a female parent.
2.
(often initial capital letter) one's female parent.
3.
a mother-in-law, stepmother, or adoptive mother.
4.
a term of address for a female parent or a woman having or regarded as having the status, function, or authority of a female parent.
5.
a term of familiar address for an old or elderly woman.
6.
mother superior.
7.
a woman exercising control, influence, or authority like that of a mother:
to be a mother to someone.
8.
the qualities characteristic of a mother, as maternal affection:
It is the mother in her showing itself.
9.
something or someone that gives rise to or exercises protecting care over something else; origin or source.
10.
(in disc recording) a mold from which stampers are made.
adjective
11.
being a mother:
a mother bird.
12.
of, pertaining to, or characteristic of a mother:
mother love.
13.
derived from or as if from one's mother; native:
his mother culture.
14.
bearing a relation like that of a mother, as in being the origin, source, or protector:
the mother company and its affiliates; the mother computer and its network of terminals.
verb (used with object)
15.
to be the mother of; give origin or rise to.
16.
to acknowledge oneself the author of; assume as one's own.
17.
to care for or protect like a mother; act maternally toward.
verb (used without object)
18.
to perform the tasks or duties of a female parent; act maternally:
a woman with a need to mother.
Idioms
19.
mother of all, the greatest or most notable example of:
the mother of all mystery novels.
Origin
before 900; Middle English mother, moder, Old English mōdor; cognate with Dutch moeder, German Mutter, Old Norse mōthir, Latin māter, Greek mḗtēr, Sanskrit mātar-. As in father, th was substituted for d, possibly on the model of brother
Related forms
motherless, adjective
motherlessness, noun
unmothered, adjective
Synonyms
17. tend, nurse, mind, raise.

mother2

[muhth -er] /ˈmʌð ər/
noun
1.
a stringy, mucilaginous substance consisting of various bacteria, especially Mycoderma aceti, that forms on the surface of a fermenting liquid and causes fermentation when added to other liquids, as in changing wine or cider to vinegar.
Also called mother of vinegar.
Origin
1530-40; probably special use of mother1, but perhaps another word, akin to Dutch modder dregs, Middle Low German moder swampy land; see mud

mother3

[muhth -er] /ˈmʌð ər/
noun, Slang: Vulgar.
1.
motherfucker.
2.
a person or thing that is very large, powerful, or impressive.
Origin
1945-50; euphemistic shortening
Examples from the web for mother
  • They also allow abortion if the mother were suicidal because of such defects.
  • He is also shorter in stature than his sister, and a lot shorter than his mother.
  • His mind is now completely dominated by the persona of his mother.
  • When the boy is ready to be married, his mother will initiate him in the use of the coca.
  • Neither is his mother, who, as the episode ends, is clinging to life.
  • His father was a retired professional musician and his mother enjoyed playing the piano.
  • The apparition sumi dreamt of earlier was her hanged mother.
  • From this point, his mother and stepfather took a more active role in raising him.
  • His mother coddled him while his father disapproved of his behavior.
  • When he was in junior high school, he accompanied his mother by bus to her therapist.
British Dictionary definitions for mother

mother1

/ˈmʌðə/
noun
1.
  1. a female who has given birth to offspring
  2. (as modifier): a mother bird
2.
(often capital, esp as a term of address) a person's own mother
3.
a female substituting in the function of a mother
4.
(often capital) (mainly archaic) a term of address for an old woman
5.
  1. motherly qualities, such as maternal affection: it appealed to the mother in her
  2. (as modifier): mother love
  3. (in combination): mothercraft
6.
  1. a female or thing that creates, nurtures, protects, etc, something
  2. (as modifier): mother church, mother earth
7.
a title given to certain members of female religious orders: mother superior
8.
(Christian Science) God as the eternal Principle
9.
(modifier) native or innate: mother wit
10.
(offensive, taboo, slang, mainly US) short for (offensive) motherfucker
11.
be mother, to pour the tea: I'll be mother
12.
(informal) the mother of all …, the greatest example of its kind: the mother of all parties
verb (transitive)
13.
to give birth to or produce
14.
to nurture, protect, etc as a mother
related
adjective maternal
Derived Forms
mothering, noun
Word Origin
Old English mōdor; compare Old Saxon mōdar, Old High German muotar, Latin māter, Greek mētēr

mother2

/ˈmʌðə/
noun
1.
a stringy slime containing various bacteria that forms on the surface of liquids undergoing acetous fermentation. It can be added to wine, cider, etc to promote vinegar formation Also called mother of vinegar
Derived Forms
mothery, adjective
Word Origin
C16: perhaps from mother1, but compare Spanish madre scum, Dutch modder dregs, Middle Low German modder decaying object, mudde sludge
Word Origin and History for mother
n.

Old English modor "female parent," from Proto-Germanic *mothær (cf. Old Saxon modar, Old Frisian moder, Old Norse moðir, Danish moder, Dutch moeder, Old High German muoter, German Mutter), from PIE *mater- "mother" (cf. Latin mater, Old Irish mathir, Lithuanian mote, Sanskrit matar-, Greek meter, Old Church Slavonic mati), "[b]ased ultimately on the baby-talk form *mā- (2); with the kinship term suffix *-ter-" [Watkins]. Spelling with -th- dates from early 16c., though that pronunciation is probably older.

Mother nature first attested c.1600; mother earth is from 1580s. Mother tongue "one's native language" first attested late 14c. Mother of all ________ 1991, is Gulf War slang, from Saddam Hussein's use in reference to the coming battle; it is an Arabic idiom (as well as an English one), cf. Ayesha, second wife of Muhammad, known as Mother of Believers. Mother Carey's chickens is late 18c. sailors' nickname for storm petrels, or for snowflakes. Mother lode attested by c.1882, from mining [1849].

"a thick substance concreting in liquors; the lees or scum concreted" [Johnson], probably from Middle Dutch modder "filth, dregs," from PIE *meu- (see mud).

v.

1540s, "to be the mother of," from mother (n.1). Meaning "to take care of" is from 1863. Related: Mothered; mothering.

mother in Medicine

mother moth·er (mŭð'ər)
n.

  1. A woman who conceives, gives birth to, or raises and nurtures a child.

  2. A female parent of an animal.

  3. A structure, such as a mother cell, from which other similar bodies are formed.

Slang definitions & phrases for mother

mother

modifier

: Every mother other one of 'em cried foul

noun
  1. The leader, usually the elder and mentor, of younger homosexuals (1970s+ Homosexuals)
  2. A despicable person; motherfucker: I looked into the wallet of one of the mothers (fr black)
  3. A fine, interesting, or remarkable event, object, or person; momma: Grab these mothers. They'll really do the job/ When a good-looking girl passes a ''big man'' on the street, instead of a whistle she gets an approving Motha Higby, especially if she's a cool mother (1950s+ Black)
  4. A problem or difficulty; motherfucker

[both black senses fr the very useful and general motherfucker]


mother in Technology


parent

Idioms and Phrases with mother

mother

In addition to the idiom beginning with mother also see: necessity is the mother of invention