big mama

American  

noun

(often initial capital letters)

• big mamas
  plural

1. a man's sweetheart, girlfriend, or wife.

2. a woman regarded as the head of a family.

3. the female founder or a leading female member of a company, organization, movement, etc.

4. Chiefly Southern U.S. grandmother.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• big mamas
  plural

Etymology

Origin of big mama

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

big mama

At one fishing spot, a big mama iguana and eight babies scramble into the underbrush; it felt like a scene from “Jurassic Park.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026

She's the big mama bear and taking on a lot.

From Salon ● Dec. 5, 2022

And then, as big mama rhythmically grunts, another piglet and then another scales her epic head and tumbles into the world.

From New York Times ● Dec. 10, 2020

In addition to reprising his Tony-winning performance as big mama Edna Turnblad, Fierstein also wrote the teleplay for NBC. 

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 6, 2016

Mamacita is the big mama of the man across the street, third-floor front.

From "The House on Mango Street" by Sandra Cisneros