1 the title of a woman who is in charge of, or who has a high rank within, a convent (= house of religious women): --
[ as form of address ] Good morning, Mother.
a mother superior
Mother Theresa
2 a mixture used for making sourdough bread, consisting of flour and water that has been allowed to ferment (= to undergo a chemical process of being broken down by bacteria or yeasts) and has been kept from a previous occasion when bread was made: --
3 → motherfucker --
4 to treat a person with great kindness and love and to try to protect them from anything dangerous or difficult: --
All the mothers and fathers had been invited to the end-of-term concert.
The supermarket was full of harassed-looking mothers with young children.
Like many mothers, she feels torn between her family and her work.
His mother's death when he was aged six had a very profound effect on him.
My mother smiled encouragingly at me as I went up on stage.