mata

American  

[mah-tuh, mah-tah] / ˈmɑ tə, ˈmɑ tɑ /

Or Mata

noun

Indian English.

1. mother (also used as a polite term of address for any older woman).

   My mata regularly made me puris with potatoes for breakfast.

2. a female spiritual leader or the mother, grandmother, or wife of a male spiritual leader (also used as a title with the leader’s name).

   This temple was built as a tribute to Mata Sheetla Devi, wife of the famous Guru Dronacharya.

   The lodge owner turned out to be a mata whom the villagers visited to hear their astrological predictions.

3. a female deity (also used as a title with the deity’s name).

   He was a devotee writing about lord Rama and mata Sita.

   Cows are considered to be a manifestation of the goddess Gau Mata.

---

Etymology

Origin of mata

First recorded in 1870–75; from Sanskrit mātā, nominative of mātṛ “mother”; mother ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

Genge, who plays alongside Fiji stars Kalaveti Ravouvou and Viliame Mata at English club Bristol, added: "They are a team full of absolute mavericks and they have got lightning bolts everywhere."

From Barron's

The RSS is “the sacred incarnation of that eternal national consciousness,” the Indian leader said a day ahead of the group’s centenary celebration, when he unveiled a commemorative coin bearing the first-ever such depiction of Bharat Mata—India depicted as a Hindu goddess—an image the RSS has long revered.

From The Wall Street Journal

Gabriel Oghre scored two tries while Fitz Harding, Viliame Mata and Sam Worsley also crossed the whitewash for Bristol, who led by just a single point with 10 minutes to play before a Kalaveti Ravouvou brace finally ended the Cherry and Whites' resistence.

From Barron's

Oghre and Fijian back-row Mata twice extended Bristol's lead, only for tries from centre Joseph and South African back-rower Venter to each time close the gap back to a single point.

From Barron's

“Lo que mata es el encierro,” Minguela said.

From Los Angeles Times