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The mother and ruler of a family or of her descendants; a ruler by maternal right.

The murder of a mother by her son or daughter.

A wife or a widow, especially, one who has borne children; a woman of staid or motherly manners. Your wives, your daughters, Your matrons, and your maids. Shak. Grave from her cradle, insomuch that she was a matron before she was a mother. Fuller.

Of or pertaining to a matron; suitable to an elderly lady or to a married woman; grave; motherly.

Derived from the name of one's mother, or other female ancestor; as, a metronymic name or appellation. -- A metronymic appellation.

The mother city; the chief city of a kingdom, state, or country. [Edinburgh] gray metropolis of the North. Tennyson.

Yielding milk. "Milky mothers." Roscommon.

The goddess of memory and the mother of the Muses.

A mother. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Mother. [Obs.] Chaucer.

romatic composite weed (Artemisia vulgaris), at one time used medicinally; -- called also motherwort.

(Mycoderma aceti), which converts alcoholic fluids into vinegar, is a representative. Cf. Mother.

A pearly substance which lines the interior of many shells, and is most perfect in the mother-of-pearl. [Written also nacker and naker.] See Pearl, and Mother-of-pearl.

being nebulous; cloudiness; hazeness; mistiness; nebulousness. The nebulosity ... of the mother idiom. I. Disraeli.

nature in Christ (who was God in man), and, hence, that it was improper to call Mary the mother of Christ; also, one of the sect established by the followers of Nestorius in Persia, india, and other Oriental countries, and still in existence. opposed to Ant: Eutychian.

se into or against; hence, to interfere with; to treat insolently. Lambs . . . nosing the mother's udder. Tennyson. A sort of national convention, dubious in its nature . . . nosed Parliament in the very seat of its authority. Burke.

Of or pertaining to a stepmother; suitable to, or in the manner of, a stepmother. Derham.

Supplying or taking nourishment from, or as from, the breast; as, a nursing mother; a nursing infant.

To hide the head, as a child in the mother's bosom; to nestle.

To hold; to keep; to possess. [Obs.] His mother, then, is mortal, but his Sire He who obtains the monarchy of heaven. Milton.