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DictionaryRoot: modor
Old English

modor

mother

Forms

  • modor
  • mother — The middle consonant changed over time.

Origin

An inherited family word related to Latin mater, Greek meter, and Sanskrit matar.

Note

Its resemblance across these languages reflects common ancestry, though nursery speech has also shaped words for parents.

2 / 3
noun / verb

mother

MUTH-ur/ˈmʌðər/

A female parent or a woman who provides parental care.

A mother helps her daughter pack lunch before school.

A mother helping her school-age daughter pack lunch before school, with affectionate closeness and a small family portrait reinforcing their parent–child relationship.
Etymology
motherOld Englishmother

Old English modor already named a woman in relation to her child, so the central meaning has remained stable. German Mutter and Latin māter are related family terms.

In context

Bite-sized Philosophy0:12
a child is seriously overprotected usually a male child by his mother
Jordan Peterson - The Oedipal Mother in a South Park Episode

More examples

  • My adoptive mother teaches me how to cook.
  • He hates being mothered when he has a cold.
  • The town celebrates her as the mother of its public library.

Forms

mother · mothers · mothered · mothering

motherhood noun — The state of being a mother.

motherly adjective — Showing the care typical of a mother.

Similar words

mom
An informal word for mother, especially in family conversation.
parent
Includes a mother or father, without specifying gender.
nurture
Emphasizes supporting growth, not necessarily acting as a mother.