mata

Or Ma·ta

[mah-tuh, mah-tah]

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of mata¹

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

Example Sentences

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.

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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.

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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.

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

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Animal services officials were called to assist police officers and took a total of 14 dogs from the park, said Araceli Mata, spokesperson for the Police Department.

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