earth mother

noun

often capitalized E&M
1
: the earth viewed (as in primitive theology) as the divine source of terrestrial life
2
: an embodiment of the female principle of fertility : a nurturing maternal woman

Examples of earth mother in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
As Emilia, trans actress Karla Sofía Gascón has the warmth of an earth mother, but that warmth can't completely defrost the cold-bloodedness of her past. Tom Gliatto, People.com, 11 Dec. 2024 Sturgill Simpson stepped off the grid and into the persona of Johnny Blue Skies, Kacey Musgraves cultivated an earth mother worldview, Lainey Wilson turned an honest eye toward her sudden fame, and Chris Stapleton made his most cohesive album since his debut, Traveller. Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 7 Oct. 2024 Unlike Janet, an earth mother who exerts a gravitational pull on others, Lacy is too immersed in the conundrum of her own life to care about her effect on those around her. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2024 Wilbur — who looks every bit the quintessential earth mother, with her salt-and-pepper hair pinned into a messy bun and wearing an aqua cape, cactus-print socks and hiking boots — gives a short talk about the origins of forest bathing. Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 29 Nov. 2023 The Aztecs similarly viewed toads as a source of fertility, in the form of the earth mother goddess Tlaltecuhtli. Jane Recker, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 June 2022 Over her two-and-a-half-decade career in the fashion industry, Karen Elson’s work as a model has seen her transform into many things: an Old Hollywood vamp, a 1950s pin-up, an earth mother, a fairytale princess. Liam Hess, Vogue, 13 May 2022 One’s a fancy reporter known by all the waitstaff at Le Bilboquet, the other’s a philanthropic earth mother. Marshall Heyman, Vulture, 19 May 2021 But in that telepathic moment between the sisters, Serena was not tennis’s earth mother. New York Times, 14 Feb. 2021

Word History

First Known Use

1832, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of earth mother was in 1832

Dictionary Entries Near earth mother

Cite this Entry

“Earth mother.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/earth%20mother. Accessed 26 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on earth mother

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!