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den mother
noun
: a female adult leader of a Cub Scout den
also
: a person seen in the role of leader or protector of a group
Examples of den mother in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The price of success As a prosperous den mother, Henry ran into her share of challenges.
—Smithsonian Magazine, 30 Nov. 2023
In the middle of it all was Penelope Williams, a punk-rock den mother of sorts who found a salve for her unspeakable grief in this unlikeliest of scenes.
—Photographs Todd Heisler, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2023
During a pre-Covid trip to China, McLeod was introduced to a Madam Shin, a former geisha den mother living on the outskirts of Beijing and a master in the art of facial sculpting.
—Ariana Yaptangco, Glamour, 23 Dec. 2022
After a veteran male actor dropped out, prompting a gender swap, Margaret Cho stepped in to play worldly lesbian den mother Erin.
—Justin J Wee, Los Angeles Times, 21 June 2022
Joyce was the den mother of Second City theatre, in Chicago.
—Bob Odenkirk, The New Yorker, 21 Feb. 2022
Gertrude Stein played oracle and den mother to a burgeoning generation of writers and artists.
—Jeremy Lybarger, The New Republic, 7 Oct. 2021
Nancy Harman, a lead organizer with Helping El Cajon Refugees, is an unofficial den mother for those who have arrived there over the years.
—Irfan Khan, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2021
Gans showed up to a recent Zoom surprise birthday celebration for a green room superfan and den mother who goes by the pseudonym Jill Swellville and who, like many of the regulars, lives out of state.
—Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle, 16 July 2021
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'den mother.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1936, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near den mother
Cite this Entry
“Den mother.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/den%20mother. Accessed 31 May. 2024.
Kids Definition
den mother
noun
: a female adult leader of a Cub Scout den
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