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Synonyms

mother ship

American  

noun

  1. a vessel or craft that services others operating far from a home port or center.


mother ship British  

noun

  1. a ship providing facilities and supplies for a number of small vessels

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

See Examples For:

Ukraine, which has its own mother ship drones, is trying to regain the edge.

From The Wall Street Journal Nov. 30, 2025

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 size and waterfront location, she added, make AltaSea “a unicorn piece of property that is basically made to be the mother ship for the blue economy.”

From Los Angeles Times May 27, 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

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

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