Definitions
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun zoology A human or other animal that provides some maternal care for the young born by another.
- verb transitive To provide maternal care for another animal's young.
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
allo- + mother
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Examples
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john commented on the word allomother
“Human beings evolved as cooperative breeders, says Dr. Hrdy, a reproductive strategy in which mothers are assisted by as-if mothers, or “allomothers,�? individuals of either sex who help care for and feed the young.�?
The New York Times, In a Helpless Baby, the Roots of Our Social Glue, by Natalie Angier, March 2, 2009
March 4, 2009