1
a
: a female parent
She's the mother of three small children.
b(1)
: a woman in authority
specifically
: the superior of a religious community of women
Mother Teresa
(2)
: an old or elderly woman
Mother Hubbard
3
: maternal tenderness or affection
all my mother came into mine eyes and gave me up to tears—William Shakespeare
4
5
: something that is an extreme or ultimate example of its kind especially in terms of scale
the mother of all construction projects
the mother of all ocean liners
1
a
: of, relating to, or being a mother
b
: bearing the relation of a mother
2
: derived from or as if from one's mother
3
: acting as or providing parental stock
—used without reference to sex
mothered; mothering
ˈmə-t͟hə-riŋ
ˈmət͟h-riŋ
1
a
: to give birth to
b
: to give rise to : produce
2
: to care for or protect like a mother
plural mothers
1
: a slimy or gelatinous mass or film that contains bacteria, yeasts, or both, that forms in liquids during the process of fermentation, and that is often used as a starter (see starter entry 1 sense 3b) in the production of certain food and beverage products:
a
: mother of vinegar
After about 2 months, when the alcohol has acidified, or when a taste of the vinegar makes your mouth pucker, it's ready to strain and bottle. (You can save the mother to begin a new batch.)—Tejal Rao
b
: SCOBY
A kombucha "mother" floats atop a vat of the fermented tea looking like a brown, gelatinous disk of bacteria and yeast, which it is.—Melissa Nann Burke
The brand's approach includes straining out the mother, leaving the kombucha with more of the mouthfeel of traditional teas and other mainstream beverages.—Dale Buss
2
: a dough of fermented flour and water used as a starter especially in baking : mother dough
Each day pieces are taken and used to create new loaves, and the mother is fed to survive.—Sophie Witts
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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