mother ship
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of mother ship
First recorded in 1885–90
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.
The Jiutian, a hulking mother ship drone designed to release swarms of smaller drones, completed its maiden flight in December, according to state media.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 25, 2026
Investigators with the US Coast Guard said it was among the final communications between the Titan and its mother ship before they lost contact for good.
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2024
The Guggenheim’s mother ship interior is such a thrill that it prepares you to love whatever’s on view.
From New York Times ● Apr. 4, 2024
She left the show, starred in a spin-off, then returned to the mother ship a few years later, to the delight of fans.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2023
Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the Moon would have a brief window to get back into the lunar lander and reconnect their dinghy with the mother ship above.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
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.
