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Mother vs Cow - What's the difference?

mother | cow |

As a proper noun mother

is one's mother.

As an acronym cow is

(computing).

mother

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) (m), from (etyl) ).

Noun

(en noun)
  • A (human) female who (a) s a child (b) gives birth to a baby (c) donates a fertilized egg or (d) donates a body cell which has resulted in a clone. Sometimes used in reference to a pregnant female, possibly as a shortened form of mother-to-be.
  • I am visiting my mother'''(a) today.'' — ''My sister-in-law has just become a '''mother'''.(b)'' — ''Nutrients and oxygen obtained by the '''mother (c) are conveyed to the fetus.
  • * 1988 , Robert Ferro, Second Son ,
  • He had something of his mother in him, but this was because he realized that in the end only her love was unconditional, and in gratitude he had emulated her.
  • * 1991 , (Susan Faludi), The Undeclared War Against American Women ,
  • The antiabortion iconography in the last decade featured the fetus but never the mother .
  • A female parent of an animal.
  • The lioness was a mother of four cubs.
  • (figuratively) A female ancestor.
  • * 1525 , ,
  • And Ada[Adam] called his wyfe Heua[Eve] because she was the mother of all that lyveth
  • * 1844 , , Fragment on the Church , Volume 1, page 17,
  • But one in the place of God and not God, is as it were a falsehood; it is the mother falsehood from which all idolatry is derived.
  • (figuratively) A source or origin.
  • The Mediterranean was mother to many cultures and languages.
  • * 1606', '', Act 4, Scene 3, '''1866 , George Steevens (editor), ''The Complete Works of William Shakespeare , page 278,
  • Alas, poor country: / Almost afraid to know itself! It cannot / Be call'd our mother , but our grave:
  • * 1844 , , Fragment on the Church , Volume 1, page 17,
  • But one in the place of God and not God, is as it were a falsehood; it is the mother falsehood from which all idolatry is derived.
  • (when followed by a surname) A title of respect for one's mother-in-law.
  • Mother Smith, meet my cousin, Doug Jones.
  • (figuratively) Any elderly woman, especially within a particular community.
  • (figuratively) Any person or entity which performs mothering.
  • * The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, until that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel. –Judges 5:7, KJV.
  • * Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. –Galatians 4:26, KJV.
  • A film or membrane which is developed on the surface of fermented alcoholic liquids, such as vinegar, wine, etc., and acts as a means of conveying the oxygen of the air to the alcohol and other combustible principles of the liquid, thus leading to their oxidation.
  • The principal piece of an astrolabe, into which the others are fixed.
  • The female superior or head of a religious house; an abbess, etc.
  • (obsolete) Hysterical passion; hysteria.
  • (Shakespeare)
    Synonyms
    * See also * metro-
    Antonyms
    * (with regards to gender) father * (with regards to ancestry) daughter, son, child
    Hypernyms
    * (a female parent) parent
    Coordinate terms
    * (a female parent) father
    Derived terms
    * antimother * be mother * biological mother * birth mother * foster mother * grandmother, great-grandmother * Mother City * Mother Earth * motherfucker * Mothering Sunday * mother-in-law * motherland * motherload * mother lode * Mother's Day * mother-to-be * mother wit * motherwort * refrigerator mother * stepmother * surrogate mother

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To treat as a mother would be expected to treat her child; to nurture.
  • *
  • She had seen fewer years than any of us, but she was of such superb Evehood and simplicity that she mothered us from the beginning.

    References

    * American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language Fourth Edition, Houghton Mifflin Company 2003.

    Etymology 2

    Calque of Arabic .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • Something that is the greatest or most significant of its kind.
  • "The great duel, the mother of all battles has begun." — (Saddam Hussein)

    Etymology 3

    Shortened from (motherfucker)

    Alternative forms

    * mutha

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (euphemistic, coarse, slang) Motherfucker.
  • (euphemistic, colloquial) A striking example.
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • Synonyms
    * MF, mofo, motherfucker, mutha

    Statistics

    *

    Etymology 4

    Coined from .

    Alternative forms

    * moth-er

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (nonstandard) A cat that catches moths.
  • Usage notes
    Because of the spelling (mother), the alternative hyphenated spelling (moth-er) may be used to avoid ambiguity. 100 English basic words 1000 English basic words

    cow

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) (m), (m), from (etyl) .

    Noun

    (wikipedia cow) (en-noun) (see usage notes)
  • A female domesticated ox or other bovine, especially an adult after she has had a calf.
  • More generally, any domestic bovine regardless of sex or age.
  • The meat of such animals as food (more commonly called beef).
  • The female of larger species of mammal, including bovines, moose, whales, seals, hippos, rhinos, manatees, and elephants.
  • (derogatory, informal) A woman who is considered despicable in some way, especially one considered to be fat, lazy, ugly, argumentative, mean or spiteful.
  • (informal) Anything that is annoyingly difficult, awkward or graceless.
  • That website is a real cow to navigate.
  • (informal) A conniption fit or hissy fit; a state of agitation .
  • (mining) A wedge or brake to stop a machine or car; a chock.
  • (Knight)
    Usage notes
    The plural cows is the normal plural for multiple individuals, while cattle is used in a more collective sense. The umlaut plurals ky, kye and kine are archaic and no longer in common use.
    Synonyms
    * bitch * bastard, bitch, bugger (UK)
    Antonyms
    * (female domesticated ox or other bovine) bull
    See also
    * (meat) chicken, pig, pork, goat, lamb, mutton
    Derived terms
    (terms derived from "cow") * cowboy * cow catcher, cowcatcher * cow corner * cowgirl * cowherd * cowmilk, cow milk * cowpoke * cowpool * cowpuncher * cowshed * cow shot * cow tipping * cash cow * have a cow * holy cow * sacred cow

    See also

    * * beef * bovine * bull * calf * cattle * heifer * steer * low * moo * ox * veal

    Etymology 2

    Probably from (etyl) .

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To intimidate; to daunt the spirits or courage of.
  • Con artists are not cowed by the law.
  • * Shakespeare
  • To vanquish a people already cowed .

    Etymology 3

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (UK, dialect) A chimney cowl.
  • * 1836 , Charles Dickens, The Pickwick Papers ?
  • Who could live to gaze from day to day on bricks and slates, who had once felt the influence of a scene like this? Who could continue to exist, where there are no cows but the cows on the chimneypots; nothing redolent of Pan but pan-tiles;