Dictionary

mother-in-law en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈmʌ.ðəɹ.ɪnˌlɑː/ (cot-caught-merger)
• (US) audio
• -läˌ (cot-caught-merger)
• mŭˈ -thər-ĭn-lôˌ (UK, US)
• /ˈmʌ.ðəɹ.ɪnˌlɔː/ (UK, US)

Etymology

From Middle English moder in lawe; equivalent to mother + -in-law.

Meanings

1. The mother of one's spouse.
   • Odontophobia, or the fear of dental work, seems equally plausible, as does pentheraphobia - fear of the mother-in-law. 2008 October 1, “Scared of this? You must be lutraphobic”, in The Daily Mail:
   • For I am come to ſet a man at variance* againſt his father, ⁊ the daughter againſt her mother, and the daughter in law againſt her mother in law. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Matthew 10:35:
2. A mother-in-law apartment.
3. A mother-in-law sandwich.
4. (obsolete) A stepmother.
   • Do but consider, my dear Mr. Dashwood, how excessively comfortable your mother-in-law and her daughters may live on the interest of seven thousand pounds, 1811, Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility:
5. (uncountable) A spicy Caribbean sauce made with peppers, carrots, onions, lime juice, etc.

Forms

Coordinates

mother-out-law · father-in-law

Deriveds

mother-in-law style · mother-in-law language · co-mother-in-law · mother-in-law apartment · stepmother-in-law · mother-in-law sandwich · mother-in-law door · mother-in-law's cushion · monster-in-law

Hypernyms

in-law · parent-in-law

Relateds

son-in-law · sister-in-law · father-in-law · brother-in-law · daughter-in-law

Synonyms

shviger · ma-in-law · mum-in-law · mom-in-law · saas

Translations (185)

crh qaynana (spouse's mother) · ru тёща (spouse's mother) · sl tašča (spouse's mother) · ro mamă-soacră (spouse's mother) · cy chwegr (spouse's mother) · fa مادرزن (spouse's mother) · ps خواښې (spouse's mother) · cmn 婆婆 (spouse's mother) · nb svigermor (spouse's mother) · fi anoppi (spouse's mother) · rup soacrã (spouse's mother) · sco guid-mither (spouse's mother) · tpn (husband’s mother-in-law; t-) aîxó (spouse's mother) · sv svärmor (spouse's mother) · pa ਸੱਸ (spouse's mother) · hrx Schwieghermutter (spouse's mother) · cu свекрꙑ (spouse's mother) · lb Schwéiermamm (spouse's mother) · tk gaýynene (spouse's mother) · be свякру́ха (spouse's mother) · sip སྒྱུགམ (spouse's mother) · mi hungawai (spouse's mother) · kxd mama mantua (spouse's mother) · lad es-huegra (spouse's mother) · sh свекрва (spouse's mother) · is tengdamamma (spouse's mother) · ja 義母 (spouse's mother) · my ယောက္ခမ (spouse's mother) · izh ämmä (spouse's mother) · he חוֹתֶנֶת (spouse's mother) · ja 義理の母 (spouse's mother) · fo vermóðir (spouse's mother) · pl świekra (spouse's mother) · it suocera (spouse's mother) · ia matre affin (spouse's mother) · pt sogra (spouse's mother) · ang sweġer (spouse's mother) · fr belle-mère (spouse's mother) · rif taḍeggʷač (spouse's mother) · pdc Schwiegermudder (spouse's mother) · tl biyanang-babae (spouse's mother) · ar حَمَاة (spouse's mother) · pdc Schwaermammi (spouse's mother) · be це́шча (spouse's mother) · twf kána (spouse's mother) · ckb خەسوو (spouse's mother) · syl ꠢꠠꠤ (spouse's mother) · sh svekrva (spouse's mother) · uk свекру́ха (spouse's mother) · el πεθερά (spouse's mother) · uk те́ща (spouse's mother) · cs tchýně (spouse's mother) · ks ہَش (spouse's mother) · ja 姑 (spouse's mother) · la socrus (spouse's mother) · ur ساس (spouse's mother) · fa خشو (spouse's mother) · az qayınana (spouse's mother) · is tengdó (spouse's mother) · de Schwiegermutter (spouse's mother) · ka სიდედრი (spouse's mother) · he חָמוֹת (spouse's mother) · gni marriyali (spouse's mother) · ga máthair chéile (spouse's mother) · cmn 岳母 (spouse's mother) · eu amaginarreba (spouse's mother) · mi hungarei (spouse's mother) · th แม่ผัว (spouse's mother) · de Schwäherin (spouse's mother) · osp suegra (spouse's mother) · lt uošvė (spouse's mother) · qu aqu (spouse's mother) · yi שוויגער (spouse's mother) · hu anyós (spouse's mother) · pdt Schwiamutta (spouse's mother) · mr सासू (spouse's mother) · pl teściowa (spouse's mother) · gl sogra (spouse's mother) · oc sògra (spouse's mother) · lad esfuegra (spouse's mother) · ba ҡәйнә (spouse's mother) · gcr belmè (spouse's mother) · sw mama mkwe (spouse's mother) · lt anyta (spouse's mother) · tpn mendy (spouse's mother) · te అత్త (spouse's mother) · enm moder in lawe (spouse's mother) · qu kiwach (spouse's mother) · scn sòggira (spouse's mother) · gd màthair-chèile (spouse's mother) · sc socra (spouse's mother) · ko 시어머니 (spouse's mother) · mk те́шта (spouse's mother) · cy mam yng nghyfraith (spouse's mother) · av якьад (spouse's mother) · cs tchyně (spouse's mother) · udi сейне (spouse's mother) · fa مادرشوهر (spouse's mother) · ca sogra (spouse's mother) · mfe belme (spouse's mother) · bg тъ́ща (spouse's mother) · ru свекру́ха (spouse's mother) · ast suegra (spouse's mother) · tr kayınvalide (spouse's mother) · eo bopatrino (spouse's mother) · pdc Schwiegern (spouse's mother) · pa سَسّ (spouse's mother) · kl saki (spouse's mother) · et ämm (spouse's mother) · lad suegra (spouse's mother) · nn vermor (spouse's mother) · ms emak mertua (spouse's mother) · cak alinam (spouse's mother) · or ଆଈଶାଶୁ (spouse's mother) · da svigermor (spouse's mother) · sq vjehrrë (spouse's mother) · km ម្ដាយក្មេក (spouse's mother) · hy զոքանչ (spouse's mother) · qu kisma (spouse's mother) · bg свекъ́рва (spouse's mother) · sei aaquéect cmaam (spouse's mother) · grc ἑκυρά (spouse's mother) · ko 장모 (spouse's mother) · id ibu mertua (spouse's mother) · th แม่สามี (spouse's mother) · ms ibu mertua (spouse's mother) · ka დედამთილი (spouse's mother) · ilo katugangan a babai (spouse's mother) · vo lümot (spouse's mother) · cmn 丈母娘 (spouse's mother) · sa श्वश्रू (spouse's mother) · mk све́крва (spouse's mother) · nan-hbl 大家 (spouse's mother) · nan-hbl 丈姆 (spouse's mother) · la socra (spouse's mother) · es suegra (spouse's mother) · rom sasuj (spouse's mother) · vro ämm (spouse's mother) · kmr xesû (spouse's mother) · nn svigermor (spouse's mother) · be свякро́ў (spouse's mother) · lo ແມ່ຜົວ (spouse's mother) · fur madone (spouse's mother) · ug قېينىنا (spouse's mother) · vi mẹ chồng (spouse's mother) · ksi sami (spouse's mother) · wmw mukwe (spouse's mother) · tpw mendy (spouse's mother) · nl schoonmoeder (spouse's mother) · se vuonesássa (spouse's mother) · sms vueʹn (spouse's mother) · sk svokra (spouse's mother) · th แม่ยาย (spouse's mother) · af skoonmoeder (spouse's mother) · got 𐍃𐍅𐌰𐌹𐌷𐍂𐍉 (spouse's mother) · sh tašta (spouse's mother) · lo ສັດສຸ (spouse's mother) · ta மாமியார் (spouse's mother) · nrf belle-méthe (spouse's mother) · mhr ава (spouse's mother) · lo ແມ່ເມັຽ (spouse's mother) · id mertua perempuan (spouse's mother) · io bomatro (spouse's mother) · sh ташта (spouse's mother) · tr hanımanne (spouse's mother) · izh ämmö (spouse's mother) · vi mẹ vợ (spouse's mother) · sk svekruša (spouse's mother) · se vuoni (spouse's mother) · lo ສະສຸຣີ (spouse's mother) · kw hweger (spouse's mother) · cu тьща (spouse's mother) · tr kaynana (spouse's mother) · hi सास (spouse's mother) · fo vermamma (spouse's mother) · hy սկեսուր (spouse's mother) · cst 'úqi (spouse's mother) · ru свекро́вь (spouse's mother) · lo ສະວະສະລຸ (spouse's mother) · grc πενθερά (spouse's mother) · mk ба́ба (spouse's mother) · is tengdamóðir (spouse's mother) · gv moir 'sy leigh (spouse's mother) · ro soacră (spouse's mother) · nan-hbl 丈姆婆 (spouse's mother)