Dictionary monolingual
English
Mother
ˈməðər
Extremely common
300 - 400
300 - 400
The word frequency and importance index indicates how often a word appears in a given language. The smaller the number, the more frequently the word is used. The most frequently used words typically range from about 1 to 4000. This importance index helps you focus on the most useful words during your language learning process.
The word frequency and importance index indicates how often a word appears in a given language. The smaller the number, the more frequently the word is used. The most frequently used words typically range from about 1 to 4000. This importance index helps you focus on the most useful words during your language learning process.
Mother -
Female parent
Example: My mother is coming to visit us this weekend.
Usage: formalContext: family gatherings, official documents
Note: The most common meaning of 'mother' refers to a female parent.
To care for or protect like a mother
Example: She has always mothered her younger siblings since they were kids.
Usage: informalContext: describing nurturing behavior
Note: In this context, 'mother' is used as a verb to indicate nurturing or protective behavior.
Origin or source of something
Example: She is considered the mother of modern dance.
Usage: formalContext: describing influential figures or creators
Note: This meaning is often used metaphorically to describe someone as the origin or creator of a particular thing.
Mother's synonyms
mom
Mom is an informal term for mother, commonly used in American English.
Example: My mom cooks delicious meals for us every day.
Note: Mom is more casual and intimate compared to mother.
mum
Mum is a British English term for mother, similar to 'mom' in American English.
Example: I called my mum to wish her a happy birthday.
Note: Mum is the British variant of 'mom' and is commonly used in the UK and other Commonwealth countries.
mama
Mama is an affectionate and informal term for mother, often used by young children.
Example: The baby reached out to its mama for comfort.
Note: Mama is a more endearing term for mother, often associated with childhood or closeness.
ma
Ma is a shortened and informal version of 'mama' or 'mum', used in various English-speaking regions.
Example: Ma always knows how to make everything better.
Note: Ma is a more colloquial and shortened form of mother, commonly used in informal settings.
Mother expressions, common phrases
like mother, like daughter
This phrase means that a daughter tends to have similar qualities or characteristics as her mother.
Example: She's always helping others, just like her mother. Like mother, like daughter.
Note: The phrase focuses on similarities in behavior or traits between a mother and daughter, rather than just the relationship itself.
a mother's love knows no bounds
This phrase emphasizes the limitless and unconditional love that a mother has for her children.
Example: Even in difficult times, her mother's love for her children knows no bounds.
Note: It highlights the depth and strength of a mother's love beyond what is typically expected.
mother hen
A 'mother hen' is someone, usually a woman, who is overly protective and caring towards others.
Example: She's always fussing over us, acting like a mother hen.
Note: It refers to a person's behavior of being overly protective, similar to how a mother hen cares for her chicks.
a face only a mother could love
This phrase humorously suggests that someone is not considered attractive by conventional standards.
Example: He's not conventionally attractive, some might say he has a face only a mother could love.
Note: It humorously implies that only a mother, with unconditional love, could find beauty in something that others may not.
to be a mother's boy / mama's boy
A 'mother's boy' or 'mama's boy' is a term used for a man who is overly attached to his mother and seeks her approval.
Example: He's such a mama's boy, always calling her for advice.
Note: It describes a person, usually a man, who is excessively reliant on his mother for emotional support or decision-making.
mother of all
The 'mother of all' is used to emphasize the extreme or ultimate nature of something.
Example: That storm was the mother of all storms, causing widespread damage.
Note: It conveys a sense of magnitude or intensity, suggesting that something is the biggest or most significant of its kind.
to have a face like a wet weekend
This phrase describes someone's facial expression as looking unhappy, miserable, or depressed.
Example: She walked in with a face like a wet weekend. Her expression was gloomy and sad.
Note: It uses a simile to compare someone's expression to a wet weekend, implying dreariness and lack of sunshine.
Mother everyday (slang) expressions
matriarch
A term for a female head of a family or group, often associated with strength and leadership.
Example: She's the matriarch of the family, always keeping everyone in line.
Note: Implies a position of authority and respect within a family or community.
mommy dearest
A term used sarcastically to refer to a mother who is strict or demanding.
Example: She can be quite the mommy dearest when you don't follow her rules.
Note: Carries a negative or critical connotation towards the mother's behavior.
motherhood
Refers to the state or experience of being a mother.
Example: Welcome to the joys and challenges of motherhood.
Note: Broadly encompasses the roles, responsibilities, and emotions associated with being a mother.
Mother - Examples
My mother is the most important person in my life.
She became a mother for the first time at the age of 25.
His mother-in-law is coming to visit them next week.
Mother grammar
Mother - Noun (Noun) / Noun, singular or mass (Noun, singular or mass)
Lemma: mother
Conjugations
Noun, plural (Noun, plural): mothers
Noun, singular or mass (Noun, singular or mass): mother
Verb, past tense (Verb, past tense): mothered
Verb, gerund or present participle (Verb, gerund or present participle): mothering
Verb, 3rd person singular present (Verb, 3rd person singular present): mothers
Verb, base form (Verb, base form): mother
Verb, non-3rd person singular present (Verb, non-3rd person singular present): mother
Syllables, Separation and Stress
mother Contains 2 syllables: moth • er
Phonetic transcription: ˈmə-t͟hər
moth er , ˈmə t͟hər (The red syllable is stressed)
Mother - Importance and usage frequency
The word frequency and importance index indicates how often a word appears in a given language. The smaller the number, the more frequently the word is used. The most frequently used words typically range from about 1 to 4000.
mother: 300 - 400 (Extremely common).
This importance index helps you focus on the most useful words during your language learning process.
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