mother church
|
noun
a church from which other churches have had their origin or derived their authority.
a cathedral or a metropolitan church.
the church attended in one's youth or for the greater part of one's life.
Origin of mother church
Middle English word dating back to 1275–1325
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for mother church
Historical Examples of mother church
And how could he explain the yearning of his heart for the great heart of the Mother-church?
Audrey CravenMay Sinclair
All the Mother-Church's vast powers are concentrated in that Board.
Christian ScienceMark Twain (Samuel Clemens)
Whereas, she is in manifest reality the Mother-Church herself.
Christian ScienceMark Twain (Samuel Clemens)
The profits go semi-annually to the Treasurer of the Mother-Church.
Christian ScienceMark Twain (Samuel Clemens)
In 1294 the Florentines determined to rebuild their mother-church upon a scale of unexampled grandeur.
Renaissance in Italy Vol. 3John Addington Symonds