a female parent of a child or offspring
All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy — Oscar Wilde
a female acting as the parent of a child or offspring she did not give birth to
the characteristics or feelings of or associated with a mother
His tears brought out the mother in her
(used before a noun) of a female parent; bearing the relationship of female parent
a mother hen
(used before a noun) derived from, or as if from, one's mother
one's mother tongue
a woman considered as the originator, inventor, or founder of something
a source, origin, or producer of something
Necessity is the mother of invention
(used before a noun) denoting or relating to the source or origin of something
the mother church
something that provides protection or nourishment
informal a notable or extreme example of something
had the mother of all hangovers
a woman in authority
(often used as a term of address) a mother superior
archaic used esp as a term of address: an old or elderly woman
taboo = motherfucker