I. ˈmə-thər noun
Etymology: Middle English moder, from Old English mōdor; akin to Old High German muoter mother, Latin mater, Greek mētēr, Sanskrit mātṛ
Date: before 12th century
1.
a. : a female parent
b.
(1) : a woman in authority ; specifically : the superior of a religious community of women
(2) : an old or elderly woman
2. : source , origin
necessity is the mother of invention
3. : maternal tenderness or affection
4.
[short for motherfucker ]
sometimes vulgar : motherfucker
5. : something that is an extreme or ultimate example of its kind especially in terms of scale
the mother of all construction projects
• moth·er·hood -ˌhu̇d noun
• moth·er·less -ləs adjective
• moth·er·less·ness noun
II. adjective
Date: 13th century
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
III. transitive verb
( moth·ered ; moth·er·ing ˈmə-thə-riŋ, ˈməth-riŋ)
Date: 1548
1.
a. : to give birth to
b. : to give rise to : produce
2. : to care for or protect like a mother
IV. noun
Etymology: archaic mother dregs, lees; akin to Middle Dutch moeder dregs
Date: circa 1828
: mother of vinegar