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).
- A) I am visiting my mother today.
- He had something of his mother in him, but this was because he realized that in the end only her love was unconditional, and in gratitude he had emulated her.
- B) My sister-in-law has just become a mother.
- C) Nutrients and oxygen obtained by the mother are conveyed to the fetus.
- The antiabortion iconography in the last decade featured the fetus but never the mother.
A female parent of an animal.
- The lioness was a mother of four cubs.
A female ancestor.
A source or origin, viewed affectionately.
- The Mediterranean was mother to many cultures and languages.
A title of respect for one's mother-in-law.
- Mother Smith, meet my cousin, Doug Jones.
Any elderly woman, especially within a particular community.
Any person or entity which performs mothering.
Something that is the greatest or most significant of its kind.
- "The great duel, the mother of all battles has begun." — Saddam Hussein.
Motherfucker.
A striking example.