mother

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A female parent; a woman in relation to her child or children.

   Grammar: Countable noun: my mother, two mothers, a mother of three.

   Patterns

   • someone's mother
   • a mother of + number
   • mother and child

   My mother taught me how to ride a bike.

   She became a mother at twenty-five.

   The clinic offers free check-ups for mothers and babies.

2. 2verbtransitive

   To care for and protect someone in a kind, sometimes overly attentive way.

   Grammar: Takes an object: mother someone. Often suggests too much care.

   Patterns

   • mother someone
   • mother someone back to health

   She mothered the injured bird back to health.

   Stop mothering me — I can pack my own suitcase.

   He was mothered by his older sisters after their parents died.

3. 3nounproperreligion

   A title used before the name of a nun in charge of a convent.

   Grammar: Capitalized and used as a title: Mother Teresa, Mother Superior.

   Patterns

   • Mother + name
   • Mother Superior

   Mother Teresa devoted her life to helping the poor.

   The sisters asked Mother Superior for permission to travel.

4. 4nounsingularfigurative

   The source or origin of something.

   Grammar: Often in fixed phrases like 'the mother of all problems'.

   Patterns

   • the mother of all + plural noun
   • the mother of invention

   Necessity is the mother of invention.

   We ran into the mother of all traffic jams on the highway.

Word forms

Common combinations

mother tongue

Spanish is her mother tongue, but she also speaks English.

mother figure

After her parents died, her aunt became a mother figure to her.

mother-to-be

The class is designed for mothers-to-be and their partners.

mother country

Many people left the mother country to start a new life abroad.

mother of two

She is a mother of two and works full-time.

Synonyms and how they differ

mom

Informal American word used when speaking to or about your own mother; 'mother' is more formal and general.

mum

Informal British equivalent of 'mom'; use 'mother' in formal writing.

parent

Gender-neutral and can refer to a mother or father; 'mother' specifies a female parent.

Opposites

Word family

motherhood noun

The state or experience of being a mother.

motherly adjective

Showing the kind, protective qualities associated with a mother.

motherless adjective

Having no mother, especially because she has died.

mothering noun

The act of caring for someone like a mother.

Commonly confused: mother or mutter?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “mother”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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