1
a
: a female parent
She's the mother of three small children.
b(1)
: a woman in authority
specifically
: the superior of a religious community of women
Mother Teresa
(2)
: an old or elderly woman
Mother Hubbard
3
: maternal tenderness or affection
all my mother came into mine eyes and gave me up to tears—
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare4
5
: something that is an extreme or ultimate example of its kind especially in terms of scale
the mother of all construction projects
the mother of all ocean liners
1
a
: of, relating to, or being a mother
b
: bearing the relation of a mother
2
: derived from or as if from one's mother
3
: acting as or providing parental stock
—used without reference to sex
mothered; mothering
ˈmə-t͟hə-riŋ 
ˈmət͟h-riŋ
1
a
: to give birth to
b
: to give rise to : produce
2
: to care for or protect like a mother
plural mothers
1
: a slimy or gelatinous mass or film that contains bacteria, yeasts, or both, that forms in liquids during the process of fermentation, and that is often used as a starter (see starter entry 1 sense 3b) in the production of certain food and beverage products:
a
: mother of vinegar
After about 2 months, when the alcohol has acidified, or when a taste of the vinegar makes your mouth pucker, it's ready to strain and bottle. (You can save the mother to begin a new batch.)—Tejal Rao
Tejal Rao
b
: SCOBY
A kombucha "mother" floats atop a vat of the fermented tea looking like a brown, gelatinous disk of bacteria and yeast, which it is.—Melissa Nann Burke
Melissa Nann BurkeThe brand's approach includes straining out the mother, leaving the kombucha with more of the mouthfeel of traditional teas and other mainstream beverages.—Dale Buss
Dale Buss2
: a dough of fermented flour and water used as a starter especially in baking : mother dough
Each day pieces are taken and used to create new loaves, and the mother is fed to survive.—Sophie Witts
Sophie WittsSynonyms
Examples of mother in a Sentence
Adjective
she often offered to babysit for friends, hoping to satisfy her mother urges until she had children of her own
Verb
She mothered two sons but no daughters.
I hope to mother at least one child.
Recent Examples on the WebGemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, 16 Apr. 2013
Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for mother 
Adjective
Humans, however, evolved to be cooperative breeders, with the father and other non-mother caregivers, such as siblings and relatives, involved in child-rearing.
—Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, 16 Apr. 2013
Verb
Sekani recovered from the procedure, but never showed any interest in mothering her infant.
—Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for mother
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mother.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near mother
Cite this Entry
“Mother.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mother. Accessed 3 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
mother
1 of 3 noun
moth·er
ˈmət͟h-ər
1
a
: a female parent
b
: a woman in authority
especially
: a nun in charge of a convent
2
: an elderly woman
3
: cause entry 1 sense 1, origin
necessity is the mother of invention
mother
2 of 3 adjective1
a
: of or relating to a mother
mother love
b
: being in the relation of a mother to others
a mother country
2
: gotten from or as if from one's mother
Medical Definition
mother
noun
moth·er
ˈmət͟h-ər
: a female parent
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share