INDEX:
1. a mother
2. what you call your mother
3. the time when a woman is a mother
4. typical of a mother’s feelings or behaviour
5. behaving in a kind and caring way like a mother
RELATED WORDS
: ↑ FATHER , ↑ FAMILY , ↑ BABY , ↑ CHILD , ↑ WOMAN , ↑ RELATIONSHIP
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1. a mother
▷ mother /ˈmʌðəʳ/ [countable noun]
▪ My mother and father are both teachers.
▪ Like most mothers, I always feel anxious when my children come home late.
▪ The 29-year-old mother of two was attacked while walking her dog in woods near her home.
a single mother
a mother who looks after her children on her own, without a husband or partner
▪ As a single mother, Linda relies on state benefits which are nowhere near enough.
▷ mum British /mom American /mʌm, mɒmǁmɑːm/ [countable noun] informal
someone’s mother :
▪ My mum and dad won’t mind if you want to stay the night.
▪ Alex’s mom does all his cooking, washing, and ironing for him!
▪ Sometimes it’s difficult to get back into the job market after being a full-time mom.
a single mum/mom
a mother who looks after her children on her own, without a husband or partner
▪ Being a single mum is never easy.
a stay-at-home-mom
American a mother who stays at home to take care of her children rather than working elsewhere
2. what you call your mother
▷ Mum British /Mom American /mʌm, mɒmǁmɑːm/ [] spoken
a name you use to talk to your mother :
▪ Mum, where can we play?
▪ Happy birthday, Mom!
▪ I told Mum that I wasn’t going to be home for dinner tonight.
▷ Mummy British /Mommy American /ˈmʌmi, ˈmɒmiǁ ˈmɑːmi/ [] informal
a name for your mother - used especially by young children or when you are talking to young children :
▪ ‘Good night Mummy,’ said Ben.
▪ Don’t cry - Mommy’ll be back soon.
▷ Mother /ˈmʌðəʳ/ []
a formal way of talking to your mother :
▪ I think I can make my own decisions, Mother - I’m forty now you know!
3. the time when a woman is a mother
▷ motherhood /ˈmʌðəʳhʊd/ [uncountable noun]
▪ It is not easy trying to combine motherhood and a job.
▪ Women weren’t expected to work in those days. The accepted pattern was marriage and motherhood.
4. typical of a mother’s feelings or behaviour
▷ maternal /məˈtɜːʳnl/ [adjective only before noun]
▪ My oldest sister, Roberta, used to fuss over me in a rather maternal manner.
▪ Lack of maternal love can have a profound effect on a child’s psychological development.
5. behaving in a kind and caring way like a mother
▷ maternal /məˈtɜːʳnl/ [adjective]
▪ Aunt Mary was a large, maternal woman who worked as a nurse in a children’s hospital.
maternal towards
▪ The older girls seemed to feel quite maternal towards the younger ones.
▷ motherly /ˈmʌðəʳli/ [adjective]
behaving like a mother, especially by being very kind and looking after people :
▪ ‘Don’t worry,’ Laura said in a gentle motherly way.
▪ Miss Gilbert was motherly but firm, an excellent teacher for the lower forms.