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.

---

mater British  

/ ˈmeɪtə /

noun

1. slang:public_school a word for mother 1

---

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

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

For Servite, it was a difficult night for Rick Garretson, who was making his coaching debut for his alma mater.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

That the event takes place at her alma mater stirs up considerable dust for Julia.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

The dwelling is also located just a short distance from the couple’s alma mater, the University of Alabama, where Weaver was a prominent member of the dance team.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026

He was returning now after an absence of thirteen years to his old alma mater, Pennsylvania College, in Gettysburg.

From "The Killer Angels: The Classic Novel of the Civil War" by Michael Shaara

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

It was likely that organizing would come for Starbucks, despite the company’s perquisites, such as tuition aid at Arizona State University, one of my alma maters.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 30, 2023

Officials often gave these records to their alma maters.

From Washington Post ● Feb. 10, 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