Mother Carey's chicken (Zoöl.), any one of several species of small
petrels, as the stormy petrel (Procellaria pelagica), and Leach's
petrel (Oceanodroma leucorhoa), both of the Atlantic, and O. furcata of
the North Pacific. -- Mother Carey's goose (Zoöl.), the giant fulmar of
the Pacific. See Fulmar. -- Mother's mark (Med.), a congenital mark
upon the body; a nævus.
Moth"er, a. Received by birth or from ancestors; native, natural; as,
mother language; also acting the part, or having the place of a mother;
producing others; originating.
It is the mother falsehood from which all idolatry is derived.
T. Arnold.
Mother cell (Biol.), a cell which, by endogenous divisions, gives rise
to other cells (daughter cells); a parent cell. -- Mother church, the
original church; a church from which other churches have sprung; as,
the mother church of a diocese. -- Mother country, the country of one's
parents or ancestors; the country from which the people of a colony
derive their origin. - - Mother liquor (Chem.), the impure or complex
residual solution which remains after the salts readily or regularly
crystallizing have been removed. -- Mother queen, the mother of a
reigning sovereign; a queen mother. -- Mother tongue. (a) A language
from which another language has had its origin. (b) The language of
one's native land; native tongue. -- Mother water. See Mother liquor
(above). -- Mother wit, natural or native wit or intelligence.
Moth"er, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Mothered (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Mothering.]
To adopt as a son or daughter; to perform the duties of a mother to.
The queen, to have put lady Elizabeth besides the crown, would have
mothered another body's child.
Howell.
Moth"er, n. [Akin to D. modder mud, G. moder mold, mud, Dan. mudder
mud, and to E. mud. See Mud.] 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 film is composed of a mass of rapidly developing microörganisms of
the genus Mycoderma, and in the mother of vinegar the microörganisms
(Mycoderma aceti) composing the film are the active agents in the
Conversion of the alcohol into vinegar. When thickened by growth, the
film may settle to the bottom of the fluid. See Acetous fermentation,
under Fermentation.
Moth"er, v. i. To become like, or full of, mother, or thick matter, as
vinegar.
Moth"ered (?), a. Thick, like mother; viscid.
They oint their naked limbs with mothered oil.
Dryden.
Moth"er*hood (?), n. The state of being a mother; the character or
office of a mother.
Moth"er*ing, n. A rural custom in England, of visiting one's parents on
Midlent Sunday, -- supposed to have been originally visiting the mother
church to make offerings at the high altar.
Moth"er-in-law` (?), n. The mother of one's husband or wife.
Moth"er*land` (?), n. The country of one's ancestors; -- same as
fatherland.
Moth"er*less, a. [AS. mdorleás.] Destitute of a mother; having lost a
mother; as, motherless children.
Moth"er*li*ness (?), n. The state or quality of being motherly.
Moth"er*ly, a. [AS. mdorlic.] Of or pertaining to a mother; like, or
suitable for, a mother; tender; maternal; as, motherly authority, love,
or care. Hooker.
Syn. -- Maternal; paternal. -- Motherly, Maternal. Motherly, being
Anglo-Saxon, is the most familiar word of the two when both have the
same meaning. Besides this, maternal is confined to the feelings of a
mother toward her own children, whereas motherly has a secondary sense,
denoting a care like that of a mother for her offspring. There is,
perhaps, a growing tendency thus to separate the two, confining
motherly to the latter signification. "They termed her the great
mother, for her motherly care in cherishing her brethren whilst young."
Sir W. Raleigh.
Moth"er*ly, adv. In a manner of a mother.
Moth"er-na`ked (?), a. Naked as when born.
Moth"er-of-pearl` (?), n. (Zoöl.) The hard pearly internal layer of
several kinds of shells, esp. of pearl oysters, river mussels, and the
abalone shells; nacre. See Pearl.
Moth"er-of-thyme` (?), n. (Bot.) An aromatic plant (Thymus Serphyllum);
-- called also wild thyme.
Moth"er*wort` (?), n. (Bot.) (a) A labiate herb (Leonurus Cardiaca), of
a bitter taste, used popularly in medicine; lion's tail. (b) The
mugwort. See Mugwort.
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Moth"er*y (m"r*), a. Consisting of, containing, or resembling, mother
(in vinegar).
Moth"y (?), a. Infested with moths; moth-eaten. "An old mothy saddle."
Shak.
Mo"tif (?), n. [F.] Motive.
Mo*tif"ic (?), a. [L. motus motion (fr. movere to move) + facere to
make.] Producing motion. [R.]
Mo"tile (?), a. [See Motive.] 1. (Biol.) Having powers of self-motion,
though unconscious; as, the motile spores of certain seaweeds.