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Glite Dictionary
ma-in-law

ma-in-law

8.9
The mother of your husband or wife
  • noun
  • /ˈmeɪ ɪn lɔː/
  • Informal
translation icon : suegra
  • Whenever I get sick, my ma-in-law insists on making me soup.

Examples

  • My ma-in-law is visiting us this weekend and staying for dinner.

  • He bought flowers for his ma-in-law on her birthday.

  • My ma-in-law makes the best cookies.

  • I visited my ma-in-law last weekend.

  • He bought flowers for his ma-in-law on her birthday.

  • My ma-in-law is visiting us this weekend and staying for dinner.

  • Whenever I get sick, my ma-in-law insists on making me soup.

Synonyms

in-law
vsma-in-law
496 2.1

A person related to you by marriage, for example your spouse's parent or sibling

is specifically the spouse's mother rather than any marriage relative
mother-in-law
vsma-in-law
112 1.6

The mother of your husband or wife

is an informal colloquial form used in speech

Surface Forms

ma-in-law singular
ma-in-laws plural

Morphology

ma-in-law = ma + in-law (semi-transparent) = in + ma + law

As a compound of informal 'ma' and 'in-law', the meaning 'mother by marriage' is directly recoverable.

Etymology

Ma-in-law is an informal way to say mother-in-law. Think of ma as 'mom' and in-law as a family tie by marriage, so it means the mother of your husband or wife.