Browse by letter
English Words Starting With M
8,594 entries — pick a word to see its definition, pronunciation, and usage.
Filter
Parts of speech
- mothball/ˈmɒθ.bɔːl/A small ball made of a strong-smelling substance (like naphthalene or camphor) used to deter moths from eating stored clothes or fabrics.adjectivenounverb+1B2
- mother/ˈmʌðə(r)/A female parent of a child or offspring.adjectivenounverb+2A1
- mother carey's chicken/ˌmʌðə ˌkeəriz ˈtʃɪkɪn/A sailor's nickname for a storm petrel, a small seabird.nounVery Low
- mother church/ˈmʌðə ʧɜːʧ/The original church from which a group of churches or a religious movement was founded or derives.nounC1
- mother city/ˈmʌðə ˌsɪti/A city that was the original historical centre from which a country, region, or later settlement grew; a founding metropolis.nounC1/C2 (Low Frequency, Specialised)
- mother country/ˈmʌðə ˌkʌntri/The country in which a person or their ancestors were born, especially one with colonial ties to its subjects.nounC1/C2
- mother earth/ˌmʌðər ˈɜːθ/A personification of the Earth as a nurturing, life-giving, and protective female entity, often associated with fertility, nature, and the global ecosystem.nounLow to Medium (common in specific contexts like environmentalism, spirituality, and literature)
- mother figure/ˈmʌð.ə ˌfɪɡ.ər/A person, typically female, who takes on a nurturing, guiding, or protective role similar to that of a mother towards someone who is not their biological child.nounModerate
- mother goddess/ˌmʌðə ˈɡɒdɪs/A major female deity viewed as the original source of life, creation, and fertility, often seen as the supreme or primary goddess in a pantheon.nounC1-C2 / Academic / Specialized
- mother goose/ˌmʌð.ə ˈɡuːs/A traditional, often anonymous, author or source of nursery rhymes and fairy tales for children.nounMedium
- mother hen/ˌmʌðə ˈhen/A person, typically a woman, who is excessively protective, fussy, or anxious about others, especially those in their care.nounC1
- mother house/ˈmʌðə haʊs/The main convent or monastery of a religious order, from which other houses (daughter houses) are founded and governed; the original or principal establishment of a religious community.nounC1/C2 (Specialized)
- mother hubbard/ˌmʌðə ˈhʌbəd/A long, loose-fitting gown or dress, often with a high neckline and long sleeves, originally worn in the 18th–19th centuries.nounLow
- mother language/ˈmʌðə ˌlæŋɡwɪdʒ/The first language a person learns from infancy; native language.nounLow to Medium
- mother liquor/ˈmʌðə ˌlɪkə/The concentrated solution that remains after the crystallization or precipitation of a desired substance from a liquid mixture.nounC2
- mother lode/ˌmʌð.ə ˈləʊd/The principal vein or deposit of ore in a mine; the main, rich source of something valuable.nounC1
- mother nature/ˌmʌðə ˈneɪtʃə/A personification of nature as a nurturing or powerful female force responsible for the creation and maintenance of life and natural phenomena.nounMedium
- mother of coal/ˌmʌðər əv ˈkəʊl/The solid bituminous residue remaining after the distillation of coal tar; a specific type of hard, black coal tar pitch.nounVery Low (Technical/Term of Art)
- mother of god/ˌmʌðər əv ˈɡɒd/An interjection or exclamation used to express extreme surprise, shock, awe, fear, or distress. It is derived from a title for the Virgin Mary in Christian tradition.nounC1/C2 (Low-Frequency, High-Impact)
- mother of parliaments/ˌmʌðər əv ˈpɑːləmənts/A term of respect and recognition for the Parliament of the United Kingdom, seen as the oldest and most influential parliamentary system from which many modern democracies derived their own systems.nounC2
Showing 7321–7340 of 8594 words.