ma

1 of 5

noun

: mother

mA

2 of 5

abbreviation (1)

milliampere

Ma

3 of 5

abbreviation (2)

million years ago

MA

4 of 5

abbreviation (3)

1
[Medieval Latin magister artium] master of arts
2
Massachusetts
3
mental age
4
Middle Ages

M&A

5 of 5

abbreviation (4)

mergers and acquisitions

Examples of ma in a Sentence

Noun Her ma and pa both said she can't go. I told my ma that on Mother's Day we'd be dining at the town's toniest restaurant. Abbreviation (3) She has an MA in English.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
These were the sons of ma-and-pa grocery stores who had closed when Wal-Mart took over. Sarah Jones, The New Republic, 13 Apr. 2018 Come for a lesson on the importance of male friendship and stay for Will Ferrell demanding ma’s meatloaf. Mahita Gajanan, Time, 17 Jan. 2018 Can anyone—your sister, your best friend, your ma—ever know the totality of you? Chicago Reader, 14 Feb. 2018

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

short for mama

First Known Use

Noun

1829, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ma was in 1829

Dictionary Entries Near ma

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

ma

noun
plural mas
: mother

Medical Definition

mA

1 of 2 abbreviation
milliampere

MA

2 of 2 abbreviation
mental age

Legal Definition

M&A

abbreviation
mergers and acquisitions

Biographical Definition

Ma

biographical name

Yo-Yo 1955–     American (French-born of Chinese parents) cellist

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