8  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Mother  \Moth"er\,  a. 
  Received  by  birth  or  from  ancestors;  native,  natural;  as 
  mother  language;  also  acting  the  part  or  having  the  place  of 
  a  mother;  producing  others  originating. 
 
  It  is  the  mother  falsehood  from  which  all  idolatry  is 
  derived.  --T.  Arnold. 
 
  {Mother  cell}  (Biol.),  a  cell  which  by  endogenous  divisions, 
  gives  rise  to  other  cells  (daughter  cells);  a  parent  cell. 
 
 
  {Mother  church},  the  original  church;  a  church  from  which 
  other  churches  have  sprung;  as  the  mother  church  of  a 
  diocese. 
 
  {Mother  country},  the  country  of  one's  parents  or  ancestors; 
  the  country  from  which  the  people  of  a  colony  derive  their 
  origin. 
 
  {Mother  liquor}  (Chem.),  the  impure  or  complex  residual 
  solution  which  remains  after  the  salts  readily  or 
  regularly  crystallizing  have  been  removed. 
 
  {Mother  queen},  the  mother  of  a  reigning  sovereign;  a  queen 
  mother. 
 
  {Mother  tongue}. 
  a  A  language  from  which  another  language  has  had  its 
  origin. 
  b  The  language  of  one's  native  land;  native  tongue. 
 
  {Mother  water}.  See  {Mother  liquor}  (above). 
 
  {Mother  wit},  natural  or  native  wit  or  intelligence. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Mother  \Moth"er\,  n.  [OE.  moder,  AS  m[=o]dor;  akin  to  D. 
  moeder,  OS  m[=o]dar,  G.  mutter,  OHG.  muotar  Icel. 
  m[=o][eth]ir,  Dan.  &  Sw  moder,  OSlav.  mati,  Russ.  mate,  Ir 
  &  Gael.  mathair  L.  mater,  Gr  mh`thr,  Skr.  m[=a]t[.r];  cf 
  Skr.  m[=a]  to  measure.  [root]268.  Cf  {Material},  {Matrix}, 
  {Metropolis},  {Father}.] 
  1.  A  female  parent;  especially,  one  of  the  human  race;  a 
  woman  who  has  borne  a  child. 
 
  2.  That  which  has  produced  or  nurtured  anything  source  of 
  birth  or  origin;  generatrix. 
 
  Alas!  poor  country!  .  .  .  it  can  not  Be  called  our 
  mother,  but  our  grave.  --Shak. 
 
  I  behold  .  .  .  the  solitary  majesty  of  Crete,  mother 
  of  a  religion,  it  is  said  that  lived  two  thousand 
  years.  --Landor. 
 
  3.  An  old  woman  or  matron.  [Familiar] 
 
  4.  The  female  superior  or  head  of  a  religious  house,  as  an 
  abbess,  etc 
 
  5.  Hysterical  passion;  hysteria.  [Obs.]  --Shak. 
 
  {Mother  Carey's  chicken}  (Zo["o]l.),  any  one  of  several 
  species  of  small  petrels,  as  the  stormy  petrel 
  ({Procellaria  pelagica}),  and  Leach's  petrel  ({Oceanodroma 
  leucorhoa}),  both  of  the  Atlantic,  and  {O.  furcata}  of  the 
  North  Pacific. 
 
  {Mother  Carey's  goose}  (Zo["o]l.),  the  giant  fulmar  of  the 
  Pacific.  See  {Fulmar}. 
 
  {Mother's  mark}  (Med.),  a  congenital  mark  upon  the  body;  a 
  n[ae]vus. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Mother  \Moth"er\,  v.  i. 
  To  become  like  or  full  of  mother,  or  thick  matter,  as 
  vinegar. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Mother  \Moth"er\,  v.  t.  [imp.  &  p.  p.  {Mothered};  p.  pr  &  vb 
  n.  {Mothering}.] 
  To  adopt  as  a  son  or  daughter;  to  perform  the  duties  of  a 
  mother  to 
 
  The  queen,  to  have  put  lady  Elizabeth  besides  the 
  crown,  would  have  mothered  another  body's  child. 
  --Howell. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Mother  \Moth"er\,  n.  [Akin  to  D.  modder  mud,  G.  moder  mold,  mud, 
  Dan.  mudder  mud,  and  to  E.  mud.  See  {Mud}.] 
  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. 
 
  Note:  The  film  is  composed  of  a  mass  of  rapidly  developing 
  micro["o]rganisms  of  the  genus  {Mycoderma},  and  in  the 
  {mother  of  vinegar}  the  micro["o]rganisms  ({Mycoderma 
  aceti})  composing  the  film  are  the  active  agents  in  the 
  Conversion  of  the  alcohol  into  vinegar.  When  thickened 
  by  growth,  the  film  may  settle  to  the  bottom  of  the 
  fluid.  See  {Acetous  fermentation},  under 
  {Fermentation}. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Mauther  \Mau"ther\,  n.  [Cf.  AS  m[ae]g?  a  maid.]  [Also  spelled 
  {mawther},  {mother}.] 
  A  girl;  esp.,  a  great,  awkward  girl;  a  wench.  [Prov.  Eng.] 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  mother 
  n  1:  a  woman  who  has  given  birth  to  a  child  (also  used  as  a  term 
  of  address  to  your  mother);  "the  mother  of  three 
  children"  [syn:  {female  parent}]  [ant:  {father},  {father}] 
  2:  a  stringy  slimy  substance  consisting  of  yeast  cells  and 
  bacteria;  forms  during  fermentation  and  is  added  to  cider 
  or  wine  to  produce  vinegar 
  3:  a  term  of  address  for  an  elderly  woman 
  4:  (obscene)  insulting  terms  of  address  [syn:  {asshole},  {bastard}, 
  {cocksucker},  {shit},  {mother  fucker},  {motherfucker},  {prick}, 
  {son  of  a  bitch},  {SOB}] 
  5:  a  condition  that  is  the  inspiration  for  an  activity  or 
  situation;  "necessity  is  the  mother  of  invention" 
  v  1:  care  for  like  a  mother;  "She  fusses  over  her  husband"  [syn: 
  {fuss},  {overprotect}] 
  2:  make  children;  "Abraham  begot  Isaac";  "Men  often  father 
  children  but  don't  recognize  them"  [syn:  {beget},  {get},  {engender}, 
  {father},  {sire},  {generate},  {bring  forth}] 
 
  From  The  Free  On-line  Dictionary  of  Computing  (13  Mar  01)  [foldoc]: 
 
  mother 
 
  {parent} 
 
 

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