Portuguese

Alternative forms

• mãy (obsolete)
• mãi (obsolete)
• manhê (colloquial, used in yelling or slow speech)

Noun

mãe f (plural mães)

1. mother (female who gives birth to or parents a child)
2. (figuratively) mother (source or origin)

   A Ibéria é a mãe da Era do Descobrimento.‎

   Iberia is the mother of the Age of Discovery.

3. (attributive, in compounds) whence others spawn, are generated, are copied or stem

   nave-mãe‎

   mothership

   célula-mãe‎

   stem cell

4. lees (sediment that settles during fermentation of beverages)

Synonyms

• (female parent): genetriz, genitora, mamã, mamãe (childish), progenitora
• (lees): madre

Coordinate terms

• (female parent): pai

Derived terms

• mãezinha (diminutive)
• mãezona (augmentative)

Related terms

• madre
• madrinha

Descendants