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”; 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

Born in 2005 as T-15 - her mother, known as "badi mata" or "big mother" was also a famous tigress.

From BBC • Jan. 17, 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

In Eastern lands when the chess king was in danger the word "Shah!" was called out, and when the chess king could not move, "Shah mata!"

From Stories from Tagore by Tagore, Rabindranath