moth•er1
(ˈmʌð ər)
n. 1. a female who has borne offspring; female parent.
2. (often cap.) one's own mother.
3. a mother-in-law, stepmother, adoptive mother, or foster mother.
4. a woman looked upon as a mother, or exercising authority like that of a mother.
5. a term of familiar address for an elderly woman.
6. the qualities characteristic of a mother, as maternal affection.
7. something that gives rise to or exercises protective care over something else.
adj. 9. being a mother: a mother bird.
10. pertaining to or characteristic of a mother: mother love.
11. derived from or as if from one's mother; native: his mother culture.
12. bearing a relation like that of a mother, as in being the origin, source, or protector: a mother church.
v.t. 13. to be the mother of.
14. to give origin or rise to.
15. to care for or protect like a mother.
[before 900; Middle English mother, moder, Old English mōdor; c. Old Frisian, Old Saxon mōdar, Old High German muotar, Latin māter, Greek mḗtēr, Skt mātar-]
moth′er•less, adj.
moth•er2
(ˈmʌð ər)
n. a stringy, viscid film of yeast cells and various bacteria that forms on a fermenting liquid and is used to ferment other liquids, as in changing cider to vinegar.
[1530–40; perhaps identical with
mother1, but compare Dutch
modder dregs, Middle Low German
moder swampy land]
moth•er3
(ˈmʌð ər)
n. Slang: Sometimes Vulgar. 2. a person or thing that is very large, powerful, or impressive.
[1930–35]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.