matricide

American  

[ma-tri-sahyd, mey-] / ˈmæ trɪˌsaɪd, ˈmeɪ- /

noun

1. the act of killing one's mother.

2. a person who kills their mother.

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matricide British  

/ ˈmeɪ-, ˈmætrɪˌsaɪd /

noun

1. the act of killing one's own mother

2. a person who kills his mother

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Other Word Forms

• matricidal adjective

Etymology

Origin of matricide

First recorded 1585–95; from Latin mātricīdium matricide ( def. 1 ), mātricīda matricide ( def. 2 ); matri-, -cide

Example Sentences

It is a penetrating and restrained portrait of a matricide trial that will leave you moved and changed.

From Seattle Times

“The word is ‘matricide,’ meaning murder of one’s own mother,” Cook County Judge Stanley Sacks said Friday, as he stared from the bench at Wilson and Spencer.

From Seattle Times

"The word is 'matricide,' meaning murder of one's own mother," Cook County Judge Stanley Sacks said in court.

From BBC

Presumably, we want a severe social sanction against matricide; parents will certainly think so.

From The New Yorker

For these worms, matricide is the rule: They don't lay eggs, even when food is plentiful.

From Science Magazine