mom
noun
a person’s mother or one’s mother.
mom
1 American
[mom]
/ mɒm /
noun
moms
plural
-
a person’s mother or one’s mother.
-
a term of endearment used to refer to a woman or girl who is admired: She came on stage at the beginning of the concert, and I was like, MOM.
Obviously she has no kids, but she is such a mom.
She came on stage at the beginning of the concert, and I was like, MOM.
All her friends call her “mom” even though she just started middle school.
adjective
verb (used with object)
-
to act as a mother toward; act maternally toward, sometimes in an excessive way: I think I just got mommed by my cat.
She just mommed me with advice.
I think I just got mommed by my cat.
She totally mommed those bullies.
-
to refer to (an admired woman or girl) as “mom”.
My friends mommed the selfie I just posted.
verb (used without object)
-
to perform the tasks or duties of a female parent; act maternally, sometimes in an excessive way: She mommed out hard after I came home late.
I like the way she moms.
She mommed out hard after I came home late.
-
(of a woman or girl) to refer to an admired woman or girl as “mom”.
Whenever I comment on photos of my friends, I mom.
m.o.m.
2
American
abbreviation
mom
British
/ mɒm /
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of mom
First recorded in 1845–50; short for momma
Explanation
Mom is what many Americans call their mothers. Mothers with young children hear this word about 10,000 times a day, usually all in a row. Mom. Mom. Mom. You get the idea. Mom is a very common informal word in the U.S. for “mother,” shortened from momma or mommy, an even more childish nickname for your mother. If you’re talking directly to your mom, using “mom” like a name, capitalize it – "Hi, Mom!" If you’re talking about her or another mom, don’t – "Hi, other person’s mom." In other English-speaking parts of the world, people might use mum instead.
Vocabulary lists containing mom
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.
For the first time in four years, mom, dad and all of us kids were together.
From Salon • Jul. 3, 2026
“We were poor,” mom is fond of saying, “but we didn’t know we were poor.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 3, 2026
Repeatedly, Marina is told she looks just like her mom, but the comment occasionally contains a trace of bitterness.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 1, 2026
When they caught wind of the mysterious suitor, Danielle’s mom, sister and sister-in-law each found his LinkedIn page.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 1, 2026
“Can anyone see it? Can my mom and dad?”
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
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.
