mammy
Americannoun
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Informal. mother.
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Disparaging and Offensive. (formerly in the southern United States) a Black woman engaged to take care of white children or as a servant to a white family.
noun
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a child's word for mother 1
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a Black woman employed as a nurse or servant to a White family
Sensitive Note
At the time of the Civil War and into the 20th century, the mammy was characterized as being strong, kind, and loyal. But her image was also that of an overweight, unattractive, and often illiterate enslaved household servant. This reinforced the association of this designation with racial stereotypes of inferiority and abject submissiveness. See also Aunt Jemima.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of mammy
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Me Mammy, Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em and A Gentlemen's Club, all of which led to him being appointed an OBE in 1994.
From BBC • Jul. 30, 2020
Hattie McDaniel, who played Mammy, a house servant, became the first African American to win an Oscar when she took home the best supporting actress Academy Award.
From The Guardian • Jun. 24, 2020
The first, Hattie McDaniel, won the same prize 51 years earlier for her performance as the slave Mammy in "Gone with the Wind."
From Fox News • Jun. 12, 2020
“A Physical History of Grace” descends directly from Betye Saar’s armed and able Mammy figures.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2019
“It would be better than not having anything. We have not seen our Mammy for one week.”
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
