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 Quotations 1.2.1.6 References 1.2.1.7 Derived terms 1.2.1.8 Translations 1.2.2 Verb 1.2.2.1 Translations 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 (“‘mother’”) < 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 woman who has, 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.

2. One’s female parent.

   I am visiting my mother today.

3. (figuratively) A female ancestor.
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.

[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] Quotations

one’s female parent

• 1988: “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.” — Second Son, Robert Ferro

a woman who has, conceives, gives birth to, or raises a child

• 1991: "The antiabortion iconography in the last decade featured the fetus but never the mother." — The Undeclared War Against American Women, Susan Faludi.

[edit] References

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

[edit] Derived terms

• be mother
• motherfucker
• mother-in-law
• Mother Earth
• Mother City
• Mothering Sunday
• motherland
• Mothers' Day
• biological mother
• birth mother
• foster mother
• grandmother, great-grandmother
• stepmother
• surrogate mother

[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] 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