mother

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. A female person who is pregnant with or gives birth to a child.
2. n. A female person whose egg unites with a sperm, resulting in the conception of a child.
3. n. A woman who adopts a child.
4. n. A woman who raises a child.
5. n. A female parent of an animal.
6. n. A female ancestor.
7. n. A woman who holds a position of authority or responsibility similar to that of a mother: a den mother.
8. n. Roman Catholic Church A mother superior.
9. n. Roman Catholic Church Used as a form of address for such a woman.
10. n. A woman who creates, originates, or founds something: "the discovery of radium, which made Marie Curie mother to the Atomic Age” ( Alden Whitman).
11. n. A creative source; an origin: Philosophy is the mother of the sciences.
12. n. Used as a title for a woman respected for her wisdom and age.
13. n. Maternal love and tenderness: brought out the mother in her.
14. n. The biggest or most significant example of its kind: the mother of all battles.
15. n. Vulgar Slang Something considered extraordinary, as in disagreeableness, size, or intensity.
16. adj. Relating to or being mother.
17. adj. Characteristic of a mother: mother love.
18. adj. Being the source or origin: the mother church.
19. adj. Derived from or as if from one's mother; native: one's mother language.
20. v. To give birth to; create and produce.
21. v. To watch over, nourish, and protect maternally.
22. v. To act or serve as a mother.
23. n. A stringy slime composed of yeast cells and bacteria that forms on the surface of fermenting liquids and is added to wine or cider to start the production of vinegar.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A woman in relation to her child; female parent: also used of female animals in relation to their offspring.
2. n. That which has given birth to anything; source of anything; generatrix.
3. n. A familiar appellation or term of address of an old or elderly woman.
4. n. A title sometimes given to an abbess, and to other women holding an important position in religious or semi-religious institutions.
5. n. A hysterical malady.
6. n. The thickest plate, forming the body or principal part, of the astrolabe.
7. To be or act as a mother to; treat in a motherly fashion.
8. n. Dregs; lees.
9. n. A stringy, mucilaginous substance which forms in vinegar during the acetous fermentation, and the presence of which sets up and hastens this kind of fermentation. It is produced by a plant, Mycoderma aceti, the germs of which, like those of the yeast-plant, exist in the atmosphere.
10. To become concreted, as the thick matter of liquors; become mothery.
11. n. Same as mauther.

Wiktionary

1. n. euphemistic, vulgar, slang motherfucker.
2. n. euphemistic, colloquial A striking example.
3. n. nonstandard A cat that catches moths.
4. n. A (human) female who (a) parents a child or (b) gives birth to a baby. Sometimes used in reference to a pregnant female, possibly as a shortened form of mother-to-be (c).
5. n. A female parent of an animal.
6. n. figuratively A female ancestor.
7. n. figuratively A source or origin, viewed affectionately.
8. n. when followed by a surname A title of respect for one's mother-in-law.
9. n. figuratively Any elderly woman, especially within a particular community.
10. n. figuratively Any person or entity which performs mothering.
11. n. A film or membrane which is developed on the surface of fermented alcoholic liquids, such as vinegar, wine, etc., and acts as a means of conveying the oxygen of the air to the alcohol and other combustible principles of the liquid, thus leading to their oxidation.
12. v. transitive To treat as a mother would be expected to treat her child; to nurture.
13. n. Something that is the greatest or most significant of its kind.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. A female parent; especially, one of the human race; a woman who has borne a child.
2. n. That which has produced or nurtured anything; source of birth or origin; generatrix.
3. n. Familiar An old woman or matron.
4. n. The female superior or head of a religious house, as an abbess, etc.
5. n. obsolete Hysterical passion; hysteria.
6. adj. Received by birth or from ancestors; native, natural; ; also acting the part, or having the place of a mother; producing others; originating.
7. v. To adopt as a son or daughter; to perform the duties of a mother to.
8. n. A film or membrane which is developed on the surface of fermented alcoholic liquids, such as vinegar, wine, etc., and acts as a means of conveying the oxygen of the air to the alcohol and other combustible principles of the liquid, thus leading to their oxidation.
9. v. To become like, or full of, mother, or thick matter, as vinegar.
10. n. Vulgar slang Same as motherfucker.
11. n. Slang A person or thing with some exceptional quality, as great size or power.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. a term of address for an elderly woman
2. v. make children
3. v. care for like a mother
4. n. a term of address for a mother superior
5. n. a condition that is the inspiration for an activity or situation
6. n. a stringy slimy substance consisting of yeast cells and bacteria; forms during fermentation and is added to cider or wine to produce vinegar
7. n. a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)