mater
Americannoun
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British Informal. mother.
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the backing holding the movable parts of an astrolabe.
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of mater
First recorded in 1585–95, mater is from the Latin word māter
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:
Before midshipman Lincoln Hedberg steps off the bandstand and the Herndon Climb ends, he takes the microphone and sings “Navy Blue & Gold,” USNA’s alma mater.
From Slate ● Jun. 24, 2026
Jaramillo said he will return to his alma mater for his master’s degree and has a data-science internship now.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 22, 2026
Orgeron played defensive line for four years at Northwestern State, then started his coaching career as a graduate assistant at his alma mater in 1984.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 21, 2026
Alumni now only have the illusion of choice in who guides their alma mater.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 27, 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
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
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
Woodson and Purdue women’s coach Katie Gearlds made an immediate impact after returning to their alma maters last season.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 16, 2022
Mike Woodson at Indiana, Penny Hardaway at Memphis and Aaron McKie at Temple, along with Howard and Davis, have their alma maters trending in the right direction.
From New York Times ● Mar. 31, 2022
“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
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 Kready, Laura F.
"You look pale, child!" cries mamma, anxious, like all pavidae matres.
From The Virginians by Thackeray, William Makepeace
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
