stepmother
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stepmother
- /ˈstɛpmʌðə/ UK
Where it comes from
From Middle English stepmoder, from Old English stēopmōdor, from Proto-Germanic *steupamōdēr (“stepmother”), corresponding to step- + mother. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Stäifmuur (“stepmother”), Dutch stiefmoeder (“stepmother”), German Low German Steevmoder (“stepmother”), German Stiefmutter (“stepmother”), Danish stedmor (“stepmother”), Swedish styvmor (“stepmother”), Icelandic stjúpmóðir (“stepmother”). Compare also West Frisian styfmem (“stepmother”).
noun stepmothers · step-mother
-
A person or thing likened to a stereotypical stepmother, having cold, cruel, or ungenerous qualities.
Similar: bonus mother
-
An animal, typically a bird, who raises the offspring of another animal.
Similar: bonus mother
-
Synonym of co-mother (“the non-birth mother of a child in a lesbian couple”).
Similar: co-mother
- Clipping of stepmother's blessing
- A viola, especially Viola tricolor, heartsease. The second came up about ten days later in the lee of the channel marker, and it was called stepmother, or love-in-idelness.
Similar: mother-in-law, stepdame, stepma, stepmam, stepmama, stepmamma, stepmom, stepmomma, stepmommy, stepmum, stepmummy
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: mother-in-law, stepmom, landlady, mistress, patron, boss, adoptive mother, foster mother, stepmommy, step mum, step-mother, stepfather, ex-stepmother, ex-stepfather, stepmother-in-law, step-father
Translations
Every language
noun wife of one's biological father, not one's biological mother
| Español | madrastra |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 계모 gyemo, 새어머니 saeeomeoni, 의붓어머니 uibuseomeoni, 새엄마 saeeomma |
| 日本語 | 継母 keibo |
| 中文 | 繼母 /继母 jìmǔ, 後母 /后母 hòumǔ |
| हिन्दी | विमाता vimātā, सौतेली माँ sautelī mā̃ |
| Kiswahili | mama wa kambo |
| Português | madrasta |
| Français | belle-mère, marâtre |
| Deutsch | Stiefmutter, Stiefelternteil |
| Italiano | matrigna |
| Ελληνικά | μητριά mitriá, θετή μητέρα thetí mitéra |
| Română | mașteră, mamă vitregă |
| Русский | ма́чеха máčexa, приёмная мать prijómnaja matʹ |
| Tiếng Việt | mẹ ghẻ, mẹ kế |
| العربية | زَوْجَةُ الْأَب zawjatu l-ʔab, رَابَّة rābba |
| עברית | אם חורגת em khóreget |
Talk about this word "stepmother." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/stepmother. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. stepmother. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/stepmother "stepmother." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/stepmother.Cite this
@misc{stepmother_2026,
title = {stepmother},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/stepmother},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
