mother
gb/mˈʌðɚ/ us/mˈʌðɚ/
A1
English
~ 400
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A1
entity
1
female parent of a child
A woman who has a child or children she gave birth to.
Usage pattern:
[someone]'s mother
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'mother' with 'mom' or 'mum' without realizing that 'mother' is more formal or neutral, while the others are more informal or regional.
Synonyms
mom (Informal and especially common in American English; same core meaning.)
|
parent (Gender-neutral term; not specific to female.)
Antonyms
father (Male parent; opposite gender role in the family.)
Collocations
single mother
|working mother
|mother and child
|mother figure
|expectant mother
Themes
family
|daily life
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- My mother taught me how to cook.
- She is a proud mother of three children.
- His mother lives in another city now.
- The mother hugged her daughter tightly before school.
- I called my mother to share the good news.
Learner examples
- My mother is very kind.
- Her mother works in a school.
- I live with my mother and father.
- His mother is at home now.
- The baby is with its mother.
Noun
B1
entity
2
female caregiver of a child
A woman who takes care of and raises a child, even if she did not give birth to the child.
Usage pattern:
[someone]'s mother
Synonyms
guardian (Someone legally responsible for a child; not necessarily parental role in daily life.)
|
caretaker (Focuses on providing care rather than familial relationship.)
Antonyms
childless woman (A woman without children under her care.)
Collocations
adoptive mother
|foster mother
|stepmother
|mother figure
Themes
family
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She became his mother through adoption.
- My foster mother was very supportive.
- His stepmother treated him like her own son.
- The children see her as a mother figure.
- Even though she didn't give birth to me, she is my mother.
Learner examples
- My stepmother is very nice.
- She is my foster mother.
- He lives with his adoptive mother.
- She is like a mother to me.
- Her stepmother helps her with homework.
Noun
literary
B2
entity
3
origin or source of something
The place or thing where something first comes from.
Usage pattern:
the mother of [something]
Synonyms
source (Neutral, non-figurative term for origin.)
|
origin (Refers directly to where something began.)
Antonyms
result (Something produced by a cause rather than being the cause itself.)
Collocations
mother of invention
|mother tongue
Themes
metaphor
|origin
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Necessity is the mother of invention.
- Athens is often called the mother of democracy.
- The river is the mother of life for the region.
- Curiosity is the mother of learning.
Learner examples
- Necessity is the mother of invention.
- The Nile is the mother of life for Egypt.
- Curiosity is the mother of knowledge.
Verb
B2
action
4
care for like a parent
To take care of someone like a mother does.
Usage pattern:
to mother [someone]
Synonyms
nurture (Emphasizes supporting growth and development, not always maternal.)
|
care for (General phrase for looking after someone; not specifically maternal.)
Antonyms
neglect (Failing to provide necessary care or attention.)
Collocations
mothering skills
|to mother a child
Themes
caregiving
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She devoted her life to mothering abandoned animals.
- He felt smothered by her constant need to mother him.
- She has been mothering her younger siblings since their parents died.
- The nurse tried to mother the injured boy until his parents arrived.
Learner examples
- She mothers her little brother every day.
- The teacher mothers the students on the trip.
- She mothers her cat like it is her baby.
Grammar
Dictionary form
mother
IPA
GB/mˈʌðɚ/
US/mˈʌðɚ/
Syllables & stress
moth - er (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (moth)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: mother
- Plural: mothers
Verb
- Base: mother
- 3rd Person Singular: mothers
- Present Participle: mothering
- Past: mothered
Word family
Forms
mothers
noun
mothering
verb
mothered
verb
Core family
Related words
Negative and opposite forms
motherless
adjective
Expressions
mother tongue
1/mˈʌðɚ tˈʌŋ/
fixed phrase
person's first language learned at home
The first language you learn when you are a baby.
Examples
- Spanish is my mother tongue, but I also speak English.
- His mother tongue influences how he pronounces English words.
single mother
1/sˈɪŋɡəl mˈʌðɚ/
fixed phrase
woman raising child alone
A woman who takes care of her child or children without a husband or partner living with her.
Examples
- She is a single mother with two jobs.
- Being a single mother can be challenging but rewarding.
like mother, like daughter
1/lˈaɪk mˈʌðɚ | lˈaɪk dˈɔtɚ/
idiom
daughters are similar to mothers
Daughters are often like their mothers in looks or ways of acting.
Examples
- She loves gardening just like her mom—like mother, like daughter.
- She loves baking just like her mom—like mother, like daughter.
- They both have the same laugh—like mother, like daughter.
- They both have the same laugh; like mother, like daughter.
necessity is the mother of invention
1/nəsˈɛsɪti ˈɪz ðə mˈʌðɚ əv ɪnvˈɛnʃən/
fixed phrase
need makes people inventive
When people really need something, they find new and clever ways to get it or solve the problem.
Examples
- During the blackout, we cooked on a small gas stove—necessity is the mother of invention.
- When our car broke down in the desert, we used tape and rope to fix it—necessity is the mother of invention.
- He built a simple cooling system from old parts—necessity is the mother of invention.
- They built a shelter from scraps. Necessity is the mother of invention.
- During the pandemic, many businesses moved online, proving that necessity is the mother of invention.
- Many medical advances show that necessity is the mother of invention.
- He built his own heating system from old parts, saying that necessity is the mother of invention.
necessity is the mother of invention
4/nəsˈɛsɪti ˈɪz ðə mˈʌðɚ əv ɪnvˈɛnʃən/
fixed phrase
need produces new ideas
people often invent things because they really need a solution to a problem
Examples
- When the power went out, they cooked dinner over a camping stove—necessity is the mother of invention.
- During the crisis, small businesses found creative ways to survive; necessity is the mother of invention.
- She built the tool because nothing else worked, proving that necessity is the mother of invention.