Mothered
(Moth"ered) a. Thick, like mother; viscid.
They oint their naked limbs with mothered oil.
Dryden. Motherhood
(Moth"er*hood) n. The state of being a mother; the character or office of a mother.
Mothering
(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.
Mother-in-law
(Moth"er-in-law`) n. The mother of one's husband or wife.
Motherland
(Moth"er*land`) n. The country of one's ancestors; — same as fatherland.
Motherless
(Moth"er*less), a. [AS. modorleás.] Destitute of a mother; having lost a mother; as, motherless
children.
Motherliness
(Moth"er*li*ness) n. The state or quality of being motherly.
Motherly
(Moth"er*ly), a. [AS. modorlic.] 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.
Motherly
(Moth"er*ly), adv. In a manner of a mother.
Mother-naked
(Moth"er-na`ked) a. Naked as when born.
Mother-of-pearl
(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.
Mother-of-thyme
(Moth"er-of-thyme`) n. (Bot.) An aromatic plant (Thymus Serphyllum); — called also
wild thyme.
Motherwort
(Moth"er*wort`) n. (Bot.) (a) A labiate herb of a bitter taste, used popularly in medicine; lion's
tail. (b) The mugwort. See Mugwort.
Mothery
(Moth"er*y) a. Consisting of, containing, or resembling, mother
Mothy
(Moth"y) a. Infested with moths; moth-eaten. "An old mothy saddle." Shak.
Motif
(Mo"tif) n. [F.] Motive.
Motific
(Mo*tif"ic) a. [L. motus motion (fr. movere to move) + facere to make.] Producing motion.
[R.]
Motile
(Mo"tile) a. [See Motive.]
1. (Biol.) Having powers of self-motion, though unconscious; as, the motile spores of certain seaweeds.
2. Producing motion; as, motile powers.
Motility
(Mo*til"i*ty) n. [Cf. F. motilité.] (Physiol.) Capability of motion; contractility.
