mater
nounnounnounattested in dialogue
- United Kingdom//ˈmeɪtə//
- United States//ˈmeɪtɚ//
A meninx; the dura mater, arachnoid mater, or pia mater of the brain.
noun
- 1
archaicMother.
Their maters are all pals of my mater’s, and I don’t want to get them into trouble for aiding and abetting my little show, if you understand what I mean.
“The mater will be delighted to see you again—after all those years,” he added.
And then there’s the mater! Poor old mater! She goes about on tiptoe; she’s always watching me and pretending she’s not watching me; I believe she would like to have everything padded with feather beds. All the while she has been wanting me to do the goody book thing, get down on my knees and put my head in her lap and blub.
Strangled by the wishes of pater / Hoping for the arms of mater / Get to me the sooner or later
- 2
A meninx; the dura mater, arachnoid mater, or pia mater of the brain.
Etymology
From Latin māter (“mother”), partly via Late Middle English matere. Doublet of mata and mother. Ancestor of matrix.
noun
- 1
Someone or something that mates.
Etymology
From mate + -er.
noun
- 1
Variant of 'materAlternative form of 'mater (“tomato”).
"A mater sandwich would be better." Trixie said, "but I'll take it if that's all you got." As if we were woefully deprived of food. So Trixie had a tomato sandwich for lunch, carefully prepared by Lillian but for which she received no thanks.
Etymology
See 'mater.
Forms
- plural
- maters, matres
mater · A meninx; the dura mater, arachnoid mater, or pia mater of the brain.
material · Of, relating to, or consisting of matter, especially physical.maternal · Of or pertaining to a mother; having the characteristics of a…maternity · The state of being a mother; motherhood.