ˈmʌðə n. & v. --n. 1 a a
woman in
relation to a
child or
children to
whom she has given birth. b (in full
adoptive mother) a woman
who has
continuous care of a child,
esp. by adoption. 2
any female animal in relation to
its offspring. 3 a
quality or
condition etc.
that gives
rise to
another (necessity is
the mother of invention). 4 (in full Mother Superior) the
head of a female
religious community. 5
archaic (esp. as a
form of address) an
elderly woman. 6 (attrib.) a designating an
institution etc. regarded as having
maternal authority (Mother
Church; mother earth). b designating the main
ship,
spacecraft,
etc., in a
convoy or
mission (the mother craft). --v.tr. 1
give birth
to; be the mother
of. 2
protect as a mother. 3 give rise to; be the
source of. 4
acknowledge or
profess oneself the mother of. øMother Carey's
chicken =
storm petrel 1. mother
country a country in relation to its colonies. mother-figure an older woman who is regarded as a source of
nurture,
support, etc. Mother
Goose rhyme US a
nursery rhyme. mother-in-law (pl. mothers-in-law) the mother of one's
husband or
wife. mother-in-law's
tongue a
plant, Sansevieria trifasciata,
with long
erect pointed leaves. mother-lode Mining the main
vein of a
system. mother
naked stark naked. mother-of-pearl a
smooth iridescent substance forming the
inner layer of the
shell of
some molluscs. Mother's
Day 1
Brit. = MOTHERING
SUNDAY. 2 US an
equivalent day on the second Sunday in
May. mother's
ruin colloq. gin. mother's
son colloq. a
man (every mother's son of you). mother tongue 1 one's
native language. 2 a language
from which others
have evolved. mother wit native wit;
common sense. øømotherhood n. motherless adj. motherlessness n. motherlike adj. & adv. [OE modor f. Gmc]
