A mother (or mum/mom) is a woman who has raised a child, given birth to a child, and/or supplied the ovum that united with a sperm which grew into a child. Because of the complexity and differences of a mother's social, cultural, and religious definitions and roles, it is challenging to specify a universally acceptable definition for the term. The male equivalent is a father.
Read more about Mother: Etymology, Biological Mother, Non-biological Mother, Motherhood in Same-sex Relationships, Social Role, Heath and Safety Issues, Religious, Mother-offspring Conflict, Mothers in Art, Synonyms and Translations, Famous Motherhood Figures
Famous quotes containing the word mother:
“Separation anxiety is normal part of development, but individual reactions are partly explained by experience, that is, by how frequently children have been left in the care of others.... A mother who is never apart from her young child may be saying to him or her subliminally: “You are only safe when I’m with you.””
—Cathy Rindner Tempelsman (20th century)
“Oh mother of a mighty race,
Yet lovely in thy youthful grace!
The elder dames, thy haughty peers,
Admire and hate thy blooming years.”
—William Cullen Bryant (1794–1878)
“There was no need for a feminist philosophy. My mother never stopped to think that she couldn’t do something.... You didn’t have to change the rules. Just be a strong and skilled individual, work hard, do your homework, and you can do it.”
—Katherine Berman Mariano (b. 1957)