Lemma 1mātĕr

nounfeminine

mother, foster mother; lady, matron; origin, source, motherland, mother city

Morphology2 analyses

nominative singularmater · regular

vocative singularmater · regular

Lewis & Short

key · materFull entry

māter, tris, f. [root ma-; Sanscr. and Zend, to make, measure, like Gr., the maker, akin with Dor.; Germ. Mutter; Engl. mother; cf.: materies, manus]

I.a mother (dat. sing. matre; dat. plur. matris: ).

II.Lit.: mater esse de aliquo, to be a mother, i. e. to be pregnant by any one: mater familias or familiae, the mistress of a house, matron (v. familia).

B.Transf., a nurse: 10. — As a title of honor, mother, applied to priestesses: jubemus te salvere, mater. Sa. Salvete puellae. — To goddesses: mater magna, or absol.: Mater, i. e. Cybele, the mother of all the gods; absol.: matris quate cymbala circum — Also, in gen., a woman, a lady; usu. in plur., women, ladies — Of the earth, as the mother of all — Of a country. — Of animals. — Of the trunks of trees, etc. — Of a fountain, as the source of waters. — Of a chief or capital city; Metropolis.

III.Trop.

A.The mother, i. e. maternal love: mater redit.

B.Motherhood, maternity.

C.A producing cause, origin, source, etc. (freq. and class.). — Comically.

D.The protector, shelter, home.