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.

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Etymology

Origin of mata

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

Example Sentences

Strong gusts distort people’s celebratory cries of “Jai mata di” and “Jai shiv shankar.”

From Seattle Times • Apr. 27, 2024

The Cayenne caecilian, in this journalist's opinion, produced sounds a bit like exaggerated yet strangely half-hearted armpit farts, while the mata mata turtle almost sounded like a purring cat.

From Salon • Nov. 9, 2022

El mundo está sumido en el terror, mientras los médicos se apresuran en encontrar una cura para un virus que se propaga rápidamente y que mata en cuestión de días.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 9, 2019

There is a prudential grounds for informing everyone: McDonalds te mata!

From New York Times • Dec. 11, 2017

The singing of the hymns was decidedly very pleasing, but the language from the pulpit, although fluently delivered, did not sound well: a constant repetition of words, like "tata ta, mata mai," rendered it monotonous.

From The Voyage of the Beagle by Darwin, Charles