mare

1 of 3

noun (1)

: a female horse or other equine animal especially when fully mature or of breeding age

mare

2 of 3

noun (2)

ma·​re ˈmär-(ˌ)ā How to pronounce mare (audio)
plural maria ˈmär-ē-ə How to pronounce mare (audio) also mares ˈmär-(ˌ)āz How to pronounce mare (audio)
: any of several mostly flat dark areas of considerable extent on the surface of the moon or Mars

mare

3 of 3

noun (3)

obsolete
: an evil preternatural being causing nightmares

Examples of mare in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The chestnut mare named Pretty Runaway, 7, is a quarter horse living on a mostly woman-run farm in Cameron, Ontario, her groom Autumn Purdy, known as @Emilyautumnmoto on TikTok, told McClatchy News in a phone interview. Paloma Chavez, Miami Herald, 15 Feb. 2024 More accomplished riders can help round up the mares and foals; others can book an Argentine polo teacher for lessons. Sarah Marshall, Travel, 23 Jan. 2024 The D’Amato-Brown rivalry will peak in the Matriarch — a one-mile run on the grass for older fillies and mares. Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Dec. 2023 Sitting astride a calm chestnut mare, his eyes closed, the soldier draws in a deep breath. Dominique Soguel, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Nov. 2023 Inside the sport’s push to solve a formidable problem June 9, 2023 Mulvihill gave the encounter a lot of thought and settled on an unnamed horse that was still considered a foal because he hadn’t been weaned from his mother, a mare named Dance Card. John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2023 Led by winner Surge Capacity, the four horses Brown shipped in from the East ran 1-2-3-4 in the Grade I Matriarch Stakes — claiming $294,000 of the $300,000 purse in the one-mile turf race for older fillies and mares. Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Dec. 2023 The $100,000 Red Carpet will be a 1 3/8-mile grass marathon for eight older fillies and mares. Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Nov. 2023 This Horses of Waterfall set includes rider Isabella, Andalusian mare Buttercup, her foal, a Bernese mountain dog, a sled, woodland creatures, and additional decorations for a beautiful winter scene. Chaunie Brusie, Rn, Bsn, Parents, 3 Nov. 2023

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

Middle English, from Old English mere; akin to Old High German merha mare, Old English mearh horse, Welsh march

Noun (2)

New Latin, from Latin, sea — more at marine

Noun (3)

Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old High German mara incubus, Serbo-Croatian mora nightmare

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1860, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

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

Dictionary Entries Near mare

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

mare

1 of 2 noun
ˈma(ə)r,
ˈme(ə)r
: an adult female of the horse or a related animal (as a zebra or donkey)

mare

2 of 2 noun
ma·​re
ˈmär-ā
plural maria
ˈmär-ē-ə
: any of several large dark areas on the surface of the moon or Mars
Etymology

Noun

Old English mere "a mature female horse"

Noun

scientific Latin, from Latin mare "sea"

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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