Mother adj. Received by birth or from ancestors; native, natural; as, mother language; also acting the part, or having the place of a mother; producing others; originating. "It is the mother falsehood from which all idolatry is derived." Mother cell (Biol.), a cell which, by endogenous divisions, gives rise to other cells (daughter cells); a parent cell.
Mother church, the original church; a church from which other churches have sprung; as, the mother church of a diocese.
Mother country, the country of one's parents or ancestors; the country from which the people of a colony derive their origin.
Mother liquor (Chem.), the impure or complex residual solution which remains after the salts readily or regularly crystallizing have been removed.
Mother queen, the mother of a reigning sovereign; a queen mother.
Mother tongue. (a)A language from which another language has had its origin.
(b)The language of one's native land; native tongue.
Mother water. See Mother liquor (above).
Mother wit, natural or native wit or intelligence.
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