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

Sunday will see the Grade III Sorrento Stakes with 12 juvenile fillies nominated for the prep to the Sept. 6 Grade I Del Mar Debutante. Also scheduled for Saturday is the Grade II $200,000 Yellow Ribbon Stakes for older fillies and mares at 1 1/16-miles on the turf. —Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Aug. 2025

The horse — a 16-year-old mare named Gizmo — was hit by the car around 9 p.m. on Bayberry Drive within the developed zone. —Brendan Nordstrom, Baltimore Sun, 4 Aug. 2025

Apollo 11's first candidate landing zone can be found in the patch of lunar mare bordering this outcrop to the east. —Anthony Wood, Space.com, 20 July 2025

The mare was persnickety sometimes, but her offspring always steadied her. —Louise Erdrich, New Yorker, 25 May 2025

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

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"