A mother is the social female parent of an offspring.
In the case of a mammal such as a human, the biological mother gestates her child (called first an embryo, then a fetus) in the womb from conception until the fetus is sufficiently well-developed to be born. The mother then goes into labour and gives birth. Once the child is born, the mother produces milk, a process called lactation, to feed the child.
In non-sexual organisms, "mother" can sometimes be used to mean "parent"; in the case of single-celled organisms that reproduce by fission, the mother is a cell that divides to produce "daughters".
Mothers typically have a very important role in raising children, and the title mother can be given to a woman other than a biological parent who fills this role. This is most commonly either an adoptive mother or a stepmother (the wife of a child's father). Nowadays, with advances in reproductive technologies, the function of biological motherhood can be split between the genetic mother (who provides the ovum) and the gestational mother (who carries the pregnancy), and in theory neither might be the social mother (the one who brings up the child).
The term mother can also refer to a person with stereotypical traits of a mother such as nurturing and other-centredness... more
Mother - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:44:00 GMT
A mother (or mum / mom) is a woman who has raised a child, given birth to a child, and/or supplied the ovum that grew into a child. Because of the complexity and ... Visit
mother: Definition, Synonyms from Answers.com
Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:42:00 GMT
n. A female person who is pregnant with or gives birth to a child. A female person whose egg unites with a sperm, resulting in the conception of a child. A woman who ... Visit
Mother | Define Mother at Dictionary.com
Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:57:00 GMT
noun 1. a female parent. 2. ( often initial capital letter ) one's female parent. 3. a mother-in-law, stepmother, or adoptive mother. 4. a term of address for a ... Visit
Mother Quotes, Sayings about Moms and Mothers
Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:58:00 GMT
Quotations about mothers, from The Quote Garden. ... A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces ... Visit
Mother New York
Mon, 23 Jan 2012 19:12:00 GMT
Advertising, Design, Misc. festivities, Short films, Longer films, Puppetry, Fine spirits, Internet things, Video games, High quality still photography, Business ... Visit
Working Mom Time-Saving Tips, at Work and at Home | workingmother.com
Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:17:00 GMT
Online version of Working Mother magazine which covers work and life issues important to career-committed mothers. Visit
mother - definition of mother by the Free Online Dictionary ...
Tue, 24 Jan 2012 19:11:00 GMT
mother 1 (m r) n. 1. a. A female person who is pregnant with or gives birth to a child. b. A female person whose egg unites with a sperm, resulting in the ... Visit
Mother Mother - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Thu, 26 Jan 2012 13:47:00 GMT
Mother Mother is a five-piece Canadian indie rock band originally from Quadra Island, now based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Mother Mother consists of Ryan ... Visit
Mother (2009) - IMDb
Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:38:00 GMT
Director: Joon-ho Bong. . Actors: Hye-ja Kim: Mother Bin Won: Yoon Do-joon Ku Jin: Jin-tae Je-mun Yun: Je-moon Mi-sun Jun: Mi-sun Sae-Byeok Song ... Visit
mother - Wiktionary
Sun, 22 Jan 2012 19:14:00 GMT
A (human) female who (a) parents a child or (b) gives birth to a baby. Sometimes used in reference to a pregnant female, possibly as a shortened form of ... Visit
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