Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The mother of one's spouse.
  • noun Archaic A stepmother.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The mother of one's husband or wife.
  • noun A stepmother.
  • noun An English drink composed of equal proportions of old strong ale and bitter ale: so called in jocose allusion to the qualifications ‘old’ and ‘bitter.’

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun The mother of one's husband or wife.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun One’s spouse’s mother.
  • noun A mother-in-law apartment.
  • noun dated A stepmother.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun the mother of your spouse

Etymologies

Sorry, no etymologies found.

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Examples

  • Home builders across the country say they are getting an increasing number of requests for such additions, known as mother-in-law suites, granny flats or accessory dwellings.

    Mother-in-law suites growing home trend 2011

  • Because of the time difference their celebrations would already be under way, so after calling her mother at her retirement community in Erie, Bonnie planned to call her mother-in-law in Scranton, where her children and grandchildren were attending the traditional family gathering.

    The Aloha Quilt Jennifer Chiaverini 2010

  • Because of the time difference their celebrations would already be under way, so after calling her mother at her retirement community in Erie, Bonnie planned to call her mother-in-law in Scranton, where her children and grandchildren were attending the traditional family gathering.

    The Aloha Quilt Jennifer Chiaverini 2010

  • Because of the time difference their celebrations would already be under way, so after calling her mother at her retirement community in Erie, Bonnie planned to call her mother-in-law in Scranton, where her children and grandchildren were attending the traditional family gathering.

    The Aloha Quilt Jennifer Chiaverini 2010

  • Lucrezia often referred to her mother-in-law as Saint Contessina as a result.

    The Poet Prince KATHLEEN MCGOWAN 2010

  • But Salahi said he was suspicious and called his mother-in-law, who told him she hadn't spoken with Michaele and was unaware of her plans.

    FOXNews.com 2011

  • It was Mother’s Day 1999 and I had to call my mother-in-law back home in Louisville, Kentucky and tell her that her oldest son had just died.

    Chicken Soup for the Soul: Tough Times, Tough People Jack Canfield 2009

  • It was Mother’s Day 1999 and I had to call my mother-in-law back home in Louisville, Kentucky and tell her that her oldest son had just died.

    Chicken Soup for the Soul: Tough Times, Tough People Jack Canfield 2009

  • Aurora bit her lip then and called her mother-in-law, who immediately freaked out when she heard her son hadn’t come home.

    Unpretty Sharon Carter Rogers 2008

  • Aurora bit her lip then and called her mother-in-law, who immediately freaked out when she heard her son hadn’t come home.

    Unpretty Sharon Carter Rogers 2008

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