mare

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈmer 

: 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 

plural maria ˈmär-ē-ə  also mares ˈmär-(ˌ)āz 

: 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

Going the distance There is a second stakes Saturday, the 1 3/8-mile, $100,000 CTT and TOC Stakes for older fillies and mares. — Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Aug. 2026

In episode seven alone, Rhaenyra’s prisoner sees a gray mare and doors that open to her. — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 3 Aug. 2026

Eidelman said her son eventually moved on to mare's milk and donkey milk. — ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026

Their Italian fare is inspired by the seafood Nantucket is known for, so look forward to the frutti del mare served alongside fine Italian wines. — Maya Kachroo-Levine, Travel + Leisure, 7 July 2026

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, going back to Old English, going back to Germanic *marō(n)-, feminine, or *mara(n)-, masculine (whence also Old Saxon, Old High German & Old Icelandic mara "nightmare, demon causing nightmares"), going back to dialectal Indo-European *mor(h₂)-, denoting a nocturnal malevolent spirit, whence also Old Irish Morrígan, name of an ancient Irish war goddess (compound with rígan "queen"), Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian mòra "nightmare, blood-sucking witch," Polish zmora "nightmare, incubus," Russian kikímora "household spirit" (with initial element of uncertain origin)

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

Phrases Containing mare

• flying mare
• mare clausum
• mare liberum
• mare nostrum
• mare's nest
• mare's tail
• shank's mare

Rhymes for mare

• air
• ayre
• bahr
• bare
• blare
• care
• chair
• claire
• ere
• err
• eyre
• fair

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"