mater

[ mey-ter ]

/ ˈmeɪ tər /

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noun, plural ma·ters, ma·tres

[mey-treez]. /ˈmeɪ triz/.

British Informal. mother¹.

the backing holding the movable parts of an astrolabe.

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

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Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

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Origin of mater

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

Words nearby mater

matchy-matchy, mate, matelassé, matelot, matelote, mater, mater dolorosa, materfamilias, material, material cause, material culture

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use mater in a sentence

In 2009, James Stormer, who headed the department’s air-quality division, tapped connections at his alma mater, the University of Florida, to push the research forward by looking more closely at the emissions from cane burning.
“A Complete Failure of the State”: Authorities Didn’t Heed Researchers’ Calls to Study Health Effects of Burning Sugar Cane|by Lulu Ramadan, The Palm Beach Post|August 19, 2021|ProPublica
Doherty was out after the following season — replaced by Williams, who finally couldn’t turn down his alma mater.
Coach K was bigger than Duke, and replacing him is a nearly impossible task|Barry Svrluga|June 4, 2021|Washington Post
It was another homecoming of sorts, just down the road from his alma mater.
Dallas Needed A Spark Off The Bench. Tim Hardaway Jr. Has Been A Whole Generator.|Dorothy J. Gentry|May 28, 2021|FiveThirtyEight
It’s possible Scott also gave to Princeton—the Bezoses gave their alma mater $15 million in 2011—but a spokesperson for the university declined to comment on whether Scott had donated any other funds.
MacKenzie Scott Gave Away $6 Billion Last Year. It's Not As Easy As It Sounds|Belinda Luscombe|May 25, 2021|Time

The actress behind Clair Huxtable is returning to her alma mater, as a dean.
Howard University names actress and alumna Phylicia Rashad as dean of College of Fine Arts|Keith L. Alexander|May 12, 2021|Washington Post
For the first time since I put my acceptance letter in the mail, I woke up this morning ashamed of my alma mater.
How UVA Is Failing Its Women|Allison McNearney|November 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He was disappointed to find out that his alma mater was not represented.
DINO Hunters Are Dreaming Hipster Dreams of the DNC in Brooklyn|David Freedlander|August 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And then there's Laurie (Amy Brenneman), the Garveys' mater familias.
‘The Leftovers’ Review: A Fever Dream You Can’t Wake Up From|Andrew Romano|June 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
One suspects that the young men will not be hurtling back to their alma “step-mater” any time soon.
India Row Evokes Cricket’s Ultranationalist Tebbit Test|Tunku Varadarajan|March 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Do you know Richard Bargis, assistant professor of philosophy at your alma mater?
How to Make Frenemies on LinkedIn|Kelly Williams Brown|March 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Vulgate translates: “Et obviabit illi quasi mater honorificata, et quasi mulier a virginitate suscipiet illum.”
Solomon and Solomonic Literature|Moncure Daniel Conway
Among these are "Medusa," a bronze bust; and a "Mater Dolorosa," in terra-cotta.
Women in the fine arts, from the Seventh Century B.C. to the Twentieth Century A.D.|Clara Erskine Clement
In the group of coins here illustrated it will be noticed that the Mater Deorum is conventionally throned upon a rock.
Archaic England|Harold Bayley
The mater has a herd of them—jolly little beasts, but a bit wicked, some of them.
Mary Gray|Katharine Tynan
The dura mater should be carefully protected from injury as well as the pin.
Old-Time Makers of Medicine|James J. Walsh

British Dictionary definitions for mater

mater

/ (ˈmeɪtə) /

noun

British public school slang, often facetious a word for mother 1

Word Origin for mater

C16: from Latin

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

mater

Origin of mater

Words nearby mater

Words related to mater

How to use mater in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for mater

Word Origin for mater