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What is the difference between mother and father?

mother | father | Antonyms |

Father is a hyponym of mother.

Father is a antonym of mother.

Father is a coordinate term of mother.



In figuratively terms the difference between mother and father

is that mother is any person or entity which performs mothering while father is to give rise to.

In wicca terms the difference between mother and father

is that mother is one of the triune goddesses of the Lady in Wicca alongside the Crone and Maiden and representing a woman older than a girlish Maiden but younger than an aged Crone while father is one of the triune gods of the Horned God in Wicca, representing a man, younger than the elderly Sage and older than the boyish Master.

As nouns the difference between mother and father

is that mother is a (human) female who (a) parents 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 while father is a (generally human) male who begets a child.

As verbs the difference between mother and father

is that mother is to treat as a mother would be expected to treat her child; to nurture while father is to be a father to; to sire.

As proper nouns the difference between mother and father

is that mother is one's mother while Father is god, the father of Creation.

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

    father

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A (generally human) male who begets a child.
  • * Bible, Proverbs x. 1
  • A wise son maketh a glad father .
  • *
  • , title=(The Celebrity), chapter=5 , passage=When this conversation was repeated in detail within the hearing of the young woman in question, and undoubtedly for his benefit, Mr. Trevor threw shame to the winds and scandalized the Misses Brewster then and there by proclaiming his father to have been a country storekeeper.}}
  • A male ancestor more remote than a parent; a progenitor; especially, a first ancestor.
  • * Bible, 1 Kings ii. 10
  • David slept with his fathers .
  • * Bible, Rom. iv. 16
  • Abraham, who is the father of us all
  • * Shakespeare
  • Bless you, good father friar!
  • A person who plays the role of a father in some way.
  • * Bible, Job xxix. 16
  • I was a father to the poor.
  • * Bible, Genesis xiv. 8
  • He hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house.
  • The founder of a discipline or science.
  • A senator of Ancient Rome.
  • Synonyms

    * (parent) See also

    Antonyms

    * (with regards to gender) mother * (with regards to ancestry) son, daughter, child

    Hypernyms

    * (a male parent) parent

    Derived terms

    * Father Christmas * Father of Lies * Father Time * Father's Day * fatherhood * father-in-law * fatherland * fatherless * fatherliness * fatherly * forefather * godfather * God the Father * grandfather * great-grandfather * Heavenly Father * how's your father * * stepfather

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To be a father to; to sire.
  • * 1592 , v 4
  • Well, go to; we'll have no bastards live; Especially since Charles must father it.
  • (figuratively) To give rise to.
  • * 1610 — ii 2
  • Cowards father cowards and base things sire base.
  • To act as a father; to support and nurture.
  • * 1610 — iv 2
  • Ay, good youth! And rather father thee than master thee.
  • To provide with a father.
  • * Shakespeare
  • Think you I am no stronger than my sex, / Being so fathered and so husbanded?
  • To adopt as one's own.
  • * Jonathan Swift
  • Men of wit / Often fathered what he writ.

    See also

    * beget * grandpa * pater * paternal *

    Statistics

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