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👩‍👦 A female parent 🤱 To care for 👩‍🍼 To give birth 👵 An elderly woman 🧫 A fermentation layer
to mother

to mother

25 5.1
To care for someone in a very loving and protective way
  • verb
  • /ˈmʌðər/
: cuidar
  • And she didn't have time to mother me at home.
  • mother a child
  • mother a kid
  • mother and nurture

I was still, you know, mothering my daughter and traveling.

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Examples

Synonyms

to overprotect
vsto mother
2 5.1

Keep someone too safe so they do not face problems or learn to do things alone

offers loving attentive care that can be excessive but not only about control

Antonyms

to abandon
607 3.1

Leave someone or something behind permanently and without care

neglect
94 3.5

Not caring for someone or something that needs care

Idioms

mother of all
  • Informal
35 7.8

A very large, extreme event like a storm or party

fuck your mother
  • Offensive
7 9.9

A very rude insult that shows extreme anger at someone by insulting their mother

Sweet Mary mother of God
  • UK
1 9.9

A strong cry showing surprise or shock

Phrasal Verbs

to be mother
  • Archaic
22 9.8

To look after others and serve drinks like tea or coffee

Compounds

mother-in-law
126 1.6

The mother of your husband or wife

birth mother
62 3.6

A woman who has a baby but is not the child's legal or social mother

mother lode
  • Informal
19 6.8

A large rich source of valuable things like gold or information

foster mother
16 3.0

A woman who cares for a child who is not her own

queen mother
  • Formal
14 6.1

The mother of the current king or queen who keeps the title after her child becomes ruler

surrogate mother
12 4.3

A woman who becomes pregnant to have a baby for another person or couple

unwed mother
12 3.4

A woman who has a child and is not married

mother superior
10 7.8

A woman who is in charge of a group of nuns in a convent

mother-of-pearl
7 6.0

A smooth shiny layer inside some shells that shows rainbow colours and is used for decoration

mother tongue
6 2.7

The first language a person learns at home

Mother Goose
  • Literature
6 4.5

An imaginary old woman who writes nursery rhymes and fairy tales

den mother
  • US
5 6.7

A woman who looks after and supports a group of children or young people

mother hen
  • Informal
5 5.1

A person who cares for and protects others and often worries about them

mother figure
4 3.2

A woman who cares for and guides someone like a parent

second mother
3 4.3

A woman who cares for someone like a mother, often with or instead of their own mother

mother country
3 3.5

The country where you were born or the one you feel most connected to

Great Mother
3 9.1

A figure in modern spiritual beliefs who represents Earth as a caring mother

earth mother
2 4.5

A caring person who loves nature, grows plants, and helps others with gardening

earth mother
  • Literature
2 8.5

A female spirit who represents the Earth and gives life and fertility

den mother
  • Jargon
1 6.5

A woman who leads a small group of Cub Scouts and plans their activities

Great Mother
  • Literature
1 9.9

An ancient Phrygian goddess worshipped for nature and fertility, often shown with lions

mother hen
1 2.9

A hen that has chicks and cares for them

Mother Hubbard
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A loose dress without a belt that falls straight from the shoulders, with a high neck and long sleeves

mother of all storms
  • Informal
1 7.7

A very strong storm that causes great damage and danger

refrigerator mother
  • Slur
1 9.9

A mother wrongly blamed in the past for causing her child's autism because she seemed cold

mother cell
  • Specialized
1 6.5

A cell that makes another cell during the growth or reproduction of a living thing

mother wit
1 9.9

Natural practical sense a person is born with, not learned at school

mother-in-law plant
1 8.8

An indoor plant with large dark leaves that can make your tongue and throat swell if eaten

foster-mother
1 3.4

A woman who cares for a child who is not her own

mother-in-law's tongue
1 5.5

A houseplant with long upright thick leaves often called snake plant

Mother Hubbard's cupboard
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A cupboard or pantry that has no food

mother-naked
  • NSFW
1 9.9

Completely without clothes like a new baby

mother of thyme
1 9.9

A low, fragrant plant with small purple and white flowers that grows close to the ground

mother-of-pearl cloud
1 9.9

A high cloud that looks shiny with rainbow colors around sunrise or after sunset

mother-of-thousands
1 9.9

A small plant with many red and white flowers that spreads by long thin stems

Mother Carey's chicken
  • UK
9.9

A small seabird that flies low over the sea and often appears before storms

Mother Carey's hen
  • UK
9.9

A small seabird that flies low over the sea, often near storms

mother-hive
9.6

A busy place that helps people and ideas grow

mother-hive of artisans
9.9

A place where many skilled craft workers learn and make things

Mother Thumb
  • Baby Talk
8.6

A small nursery rhyme character a child shows on their thumb to teach finger names

Mother Thumb and her four daughters
  • Baby Talk
9.9

A simple game for children using the thumb and four fingers to help them move well

spore mother cell
  • Specialized
9.3

A cell in plants, fungi, or algae that divides to make four spores with half the usual genes

How Protective

to pamper
45 3.7
to mother
25 5.1
to look after
455 1.1

Surface Forms

mother infinitive
mothered past
mothered past participle
mothering present participle
mothers third person singular

Etymology

To mother someone also means to care for and protect them like a mother, and the verb comes from the noun with the same idea of watching over and loving someone. So when you mother someone you treat them with close care and attention.