mater

American  

[mey-ter] / ˈmeɪ tər /

noun

• maters,
  plural
• matres
  plural

1. British Informal. mother.

2. the backing holding the movable parts of an astrolabe.

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mater British  

/ ˈmeɪtə /

noun

1. slang:public_school a word for mother 1

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• maters
  plural
• matres
  plural

Etymology

Origin of mater

First recorded in 1585–95, mater is from the Latin word māter

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

mater maters matres

His relationship with his alma mater deteriorated after Oct.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026

The futuristic-looking museum was built on what used to be a parking lot next to the University of Southern California, the filmmaker's alma mater.

From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026

Cook’s fondness for his alma mater Auburn University, where he earned a degree in industrial engineering, periodically brings him back to campus for special events or football games.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 29, 2026

Goodrich became a Hall of Famer out of my alma mater, Poly High in Sun Valley, where the gym was named in his honor last year.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026

Mother finds it inexplicable that I don’t want to watch my alma mater throw a ball around.

From "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett

Some, such as investor Bill Ackman, have continued to needle their alma maters and refrain from giving.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026

She has increased her charitable donations to her alma maters and where she taught, in addition to other organizations such as Doctors Without Borders and Habitat for Humanity.

From Barron's ● Oct. 26, 2025

Mr. Pagliuca had donated hundreds of millions of dollars to his alma maters, Duke University and Harvard, largely earmarked for science.

From New York Times ● Jan. 12, 2024

Before a Syracuse-Virginia Tech game matching the alma maters of his great uncle and father, Sturdivant gawked at the size of the players, the eighth-grader never thinking he could measure up.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 7, 2023

“Good man. But best not mention it to”—Hugo nodded through the garage wall—“the maters and the paters, or we'll spend the rest of the afternoon playing Ludo or the Game of Life under strict supervision.”

From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell

"You look pale, child!" cries mamma, anxious, like all pavidae matres.

From The Virginians by William Makepeace Thackeray

In Akenside's Pleasures of Imagination we find:—                      Hence, finally by night,      The village matres, round the blazing hearth      Suspend the infant audience with their tales,      Breathing astonishment.

From A Study of Fairy Tales by Laura F. Kready