housemother

noun

house·​moth·​er ˈhau̇s-ˌmə-t͟hər How to pronounce housemother (audio)
: a woman acting as hostess, chaperone, and often housekeeper in a group residence

Examples of housemother in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Charlotte Rae as Edna Garrett Rae played housemother Edna Garrett, the character who tied the spin-off to Diff'rent Strokes, on The Facts of Life until season 8, when Cloris Leachman was cast as her character's sister. Michele Corriston, Peoplemag, 4 Mar. 2023 In the show, Edna Garrett leaves the Drummonds’ Park Avenue hom and becomes housemother of a dormitory at a private all-girls school in Peekskill, New York. Michael Schneider, Variety, 29 Nov. 2021 Melissa follows behind, Dasani slams the door in her housemother’s face. New York Times, 28 Sep. 2021 Dasani’s housemother is 37-year-old Tabitha McQuiddy, a white Pennsylvania native with blond highlights and a long plaid skirt. New York Times, 28 Sep. 2021 Before long, a housemother at the school was punishing them for it. Washington Post, 16 June 2021 Rodriguez can currently be seen starring as housemother Blanca in Ryan Murphy’s groundbreaking Pose on FX. Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 July 2019 Charlotte Rae starred as Edna Garrett, a housemother at the fictional Eastland School, an all-female boarding school in Peekskill, NY. Fox News, 4 Aug. 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'housemother.' 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

1882, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of housemother was in 1882

Dictionary Entries Near housemother

Cite this Entry

“Housemother.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/housemother. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!