mother
female parent of a child
A woman who has a child or children she gave birth to.
[someone]'s mother
- 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.
- 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.
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.
[someone]'s mother
- 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.
- 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.
origin or source of something
The place or thing where something first comes from.
the mother of [something]
- 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.
- Necessity is the mother of invention.
- The Nile is the mother of life for Egypt.
- Curiosity is the mother of knowledge.
care for like a parent
To take care of someone like a mother does.
to mother [someone]
- 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.
- She mothers her little brother every day.
- The teacher mothers the students on the trip.
- She mothers her cat like it is her baby.
- Base: mother
- Plural: mothers
- Base: mother
- 3rd Person Singular: mothers
- Present Participle: mothering
- Past: mothered
mother tongue
1person's first language learned at home
The first language you learn when you are a baby.
- Spanish is my mother tongue, but I also speak English.
- His mother tongue influences how he pronounces English words.
single mother
1woman raising child alone
A woman who takes care of her child or children without a husband or partner living with her.
- She is a single mother with two jobs.
- Being a single mother can be challenging but rewarding.
like mother, like daughter
1daughters are similar to mothers
Daughters are often like their mothers in looks or ways of acting.
- 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
1need makes people inventive
When people really need something, they find new and clever ways to get it or solve the problem.
- 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
4need produces new ideas
people often invent things because they really need a solution to a problem
- 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.