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Synonyms

mater dolorosa

American  
[mah-ter doh-loh-roh-sah, mey-ter doh-luh-roh-suh] / ˈmɑ tɛr ˌdoʊ loʊˈroʊ sɑ, ˈmeɪ tər ˌdoʊ ləˈroʊ sə /

noun

Latin.
  1. the sorrowful mother.

  2. (initial capital letters) the mother of Christ sorrowing for her son.


mater dolorosa British  
/ ˈmɑːtə ˌdɒləˈrəʊsə /

noun

  1. the Virgin Mary sorrowing for the dead Christ, esp as depicted in art

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of mater dolorosa

Latin: sorrowful mother

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.

See Examples For:

Warhol’s Jackie is a ravaged yet noble figure of mourning, a mater dolorosa for the nation, conveying in her composed agony the loss of JFK to an assassin’s bullet.

From The Guardian Nov. 11, 2016

Diana--celebrity, tabloid princess, mater dolorosa of the pop and fashion scene--was, if nothing else, the perfect idol for our times.

From Time Magazine Archive

Many saw her as a veritable mater dolorosa.

From Time Magazine Archive

Alone, burnt-eyed, she raises an arm as she watches the Greek fleet under full sail, a Botticelli Venus transformed into the mater dolorosa.

From Time Magazine Archive

Take, for instance, the following little story: An American is seated in a railway carriage, and opposite him is a lady in deep mourning, and looking a picture of sadness; a veritable mater dolorosa.

From A Frenchman in America Recollections of Men and Things by O'Rell, Max

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