grandmother

[gran-muhth-er, grand-, gram-]

See more synonyms for grandmother on Thesaurus.com

noun

the mother of one's father or mother.
a female ancestor.

Origin of grandmother

late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; see origin at grand-, mother¹

Can be confusedgrammar grandma grandmother

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for grandmother

Contemporary Examples

In 2011, he was arrested while visiting his grandmother in Iran, charged with espionage, and sentenced to death.
An American Marine in Iran’s Prisons Goes on Hunger Strike
IranWire
December 18, 2014
Through her haircare line, named for her grandmother, Jessie Branch, Titi Branch was revolutionary.
Goodbye To A Natural Hair Guru: Miss Jessie's Cofounder Titi Branch Dead At 45
Danielle Belton
December 16, 2014
There is this trinity of female mourning: for your grandmother, your mother, and your unborn daughter.
Meghan Daum On Tackling The Unspeakable Parts Of Life
David Yaffe
December 6, 2014
The seven-year-old Detroit girl was sleeping on the couch as her grandmother sat next to her watching television.
Worse Than Eric Garner: Cops Who Got Away With Killing Autistic Men and Little Girls
Emily Shire
December 4, 2014
Vreeland believes that in the end, his grandmother put her subtle seal of approval on his lifestyle.
From Fashion Player to Photographer Monk
Nina Strochlic
December 3, 2014

Historical Examples

They began at once to think of whom they should inquire,—of the teacher, or of the grandmother.
Rico and Wiseli
Johanna Spyri
The grandmother was really standing there, holding the fiddle out to him.
Rico and Wiseli
Johanna Spyri
Not far from his grandmother's residence there was a windmill which operated on a new plan.
Biographical Stories
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Why, when he was your age, his father was at war and papa and Grandmother Wade had to do everything.
Dust
Mr. and Mrs. Haldeman-Julius
Tell him your grandmother was the sergeant's Mary Ann and your father was Sami.
What Sami Sings with the Birds
Johanna Spyri

British Dictionary definitions for grandmother

grandmother

noun

the mother of one's father or mother
(often plural) a female ancestor
(often capital) a familiar term of address for an old woman
teach one's grandmother to suck eggs See egg 1 (def. 8)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for grandmother

n.

early 15c., from grand (adj.) + mother (n.1), probably on analogy of French grand-mère. Replaced earlier grandame (c.1200) and Old English ealdemodor.

grandmother

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}grandmother

Examples from the Web for grandmother

Contemporary Examples

In 2011, he was arrested while visiting his grandmother in Iran, charged with espionage, and sentenced to death.

Through her haircare line, named for her grandmother, Jessie Branch, Titi Branch was revolutionary.

There is this trinity of female mourning: for your grandmother, your mother, and your unborn daughter.

The seven-year-old Detroit girl was sleeping on the couch as her grandmother sat next to her watching television.

Vreeland believes that in the end, his grandmother put her subtle seal of approval on his lifestyle.

Historical Examples

They began at once to think of whom they should inquire,—of the teacher, or of the grandmother.

The grandmother was really standing there, holding the fiddle out to him.

Not far from his grandmother's residence there was a windmill which operated on a new plan.

Why, when he was your age, his father was at war and papa and Grandmother Wade had to do everything.

Tell him your grandmother was the sergeant's Mary Ann and your father was Sami.

grandmother

Word Origin and History for grandmother

n.

Origin of grandmother