mamma

1 of 2

noun (1)

mam·​ma ˈma-mə How to pronounce mamma (audio)
plural mammae ˈma-ˌmē How to pronounce mamma (audio)
-ˌmī
: a mammary gland and its accessory parts

mamma

2 of 2

noun (2)

mam·​ma

less common spelling of mama

1
: mother
2
slang : wife, woman

Examples of mamma in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Elizabeth Banks is one hard-working mamma, and that’s just fine with her. Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 30 Oct. 2023 God bless my mamma in heaven! Harper's Bazaar Staff, Harper's BAZAAR, 25 Apr. 2021 At 19, Stella packed up her camera, gave a big kiss to her mamma, and moved to London to attend photography at University of the Arts (with the help of Google Translate). Vogue, 29 Nov. 2022 Proud mamma Kris Jenner filming the entire show on her phone. Colleen Barry, Fortune, 25 Sep. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mamma.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

borrowed from New Latin, going back to Latin, "breast, udder, mother," nursery word with cognate or parallel formations in other Indo-European languages, as Old Irish muimme "nurse, foster mother," Welsh mam "mother," Russian máma, Lithuanian mamà, momà, Greek mámmē "mother, grandmother," Armenian mam "grandmother," Sanskrit māmaḥ "uncle"

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of mamma was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near mamma

Cite this Entry

“Mamma.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mamma. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

mamma

noun
mam·​ma ˈmam-ə How to pronounce mamma (audio)
plural mammae ˈmam-ˌē How to pronounce mamma (audio) -ˌī How to pronounce mamma (audio)
: a mammary gland and its accessory parts
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