mother

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

Wikipedia

Contents 1 English 1.1 Pronunciation 1.2 Etymology 1 1.2.1 Noun 1.2.1.1 Synonyms 1.2.1.2 Antonyms 1.2.1.3 Hypernyms 1.2.1.4 Coordinate terms 1.2.1.5 Derived terms 1.2.1.6 Translations 1.2.2 Verb 1.2.2.1 Translations 1.2.3 References 1.3 Etymology 2 1.3.1 Noun 1.3.1.1 Translations 1.4 Etymology 3 1.4.1 Alternative spellings 1.4.2 Noun 1.4.2.1 Synonyms 1.4.2.2 Translations

[edit] English

[edit] Pronunciation

Wikipedia

• (UK) IPA: /ˈmʌðə/, SAMPA: /"mVD@/
• (US) IPA: /ˈmʌðɚ/, SAMPA: /"mVD@`/
•  Audio (US)^{help, file}
• Rhymes: -ʌðə(r)
• Hyphenation: moth‧er

[edit] Etymology 1

From Middle English moder < Old English mōdor < Proto-Germanic *mothær < Proto-Indo-European *méh₂tēr. Cognates include Modern Greek μητέρα (mētéra), German Mutter, Proto-Slavic *mati (Russian мать (mat’)), Latin mater, Persian مادر (madar), Mycenaean Greek 𐀔𐀳𐀩 (ma-te-re), and Sanskrit मातृ (mātṛ).

[edit] Noun

mother (plural mothers)

1. A female that conceives, gives birth to, or raises a child.

   My sister-in-law has just become a mother.

   Nutrients and oxygen obtained by the mother are conveyed to the fetus.

   • 1991, Susan Faludi, The Undeclared War Against American Women

     The antiabortion iconography in the last decade featured the fetus but never the mother.

2. One’s female parent.

   I am visiting my mother today.

   • 1988, Robert Ferro, Second Son

     He had something of his mother in him, but this was because he realized that in the end only her love was unconditional, and in gratitude he had emulated her.

3. (figuratively) A female ancestor.
   • Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living. –Genesis 3:20, NIV.
4. (figuratively) A source or origin, viewed affectionately.

   The Mediterranean was mother to many cultures and languages.

5. A female parent of an animal.

   The lioness was a mother of four cubs.

6. (when followed by a surname) A title of respect for one's mother-in-law.

   Mother Smith, meet my cousin, Doug Jones.

7. (figuratively) Any elderly woman, especially within a particular community
   • Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother. –Mark 3:35, NIV.
8. (figuratively) Any person or entity which performs mothering.
   • The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, until that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel. –Judges 5:7, KJV.
   • Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. –Galatians 4:26, KJV.

[edit] Synonyms

• (one’s female parent): See WikiSaurus:mother
• (of or pertaining to the mother, such as metropolis): metro-

[edit] Antonyms

• (with regards to gender) father
• (with regards to ancestry) daughter, son, child

[edit] Hypernyms

• (a female parent): parent

[edit] Coordinate terms

• (a female parent): father

[edit] Derived terms

[edit] Translations

[edit] Verb

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

1. (transitive) To treat as a mother would be expected to treat her child; to nurture.

[edit] Translations

[edit] References

• American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language Fourth Edition, Houghton Mifflin Company 2003.

[edit] Etymology 2

Calque of Arabic أم (’umm, mother).

[edit] Noun

mother (plural mothers)

1. Something that is the greatest or most significant of its kind.

   "The great duel, the mother of all battles has begun." — Saddam Hussein

[edit] Translations

[edit] Etymology 3

Shortened from motherfucker

[edit] Alternative spellings

• mutha

[edit] Noun

mother (plural mothers)

1. (vulgar, slang) motherfucker.

[edit] Synonyms

• MF, mofo, motherfucker, mutha

[edit] Translations