māter, tris, f. [root ma-; Sanscr. and Zend, to make, measure, like Gr. μήτηρ, the maker, akin with Dor. μάτηρ; Germ. Mutter; Engl. mother; cf.: materies, manus], a mother (dat. sing. matre, Corp. Inscr. Lat. 177; dat. plur. matris, Inscr. Grut. 90: matrabus, Inscr. Orell. 2089).
I Lit.: si quidem istius regis (sc. Anci Martii) matrem habemus, ignoramus patrem, Cic. Rep. 2, 18, 33: cur non sit heres matri suae? id. ib. 3, 10, 17: de pietate in matrem, id. Lael. 3, 11: Sassia mater hujus Aviti, id. Clu. 5, 12: Hecate, quae matre Asteria est, who has Asteria for her mother , id. N. D. 3, 18, 46: musa, matre nati, id. ib. 3, 18, 45: mater esse de aliquo, to be a mother , i. e. to be pregnant by any one , Ov. H. 9, 48: facere aliquam matrem, id. M. 9, 491: mater familias or familiae, the mistress of a house, matron (v. familia).—
B Transf., a nurse : mater sua ... quae mammam dabat, neque adeo mater ipsa, quae illos pepererat, Plaut. Men. prol. 19: puero opust cibo, opus est autem matri quae puerum lavit, id. Truc. 5, 10: lambere matrem, Verg. A. 8, 632.—As a title of honor, mother , applied to priestesses: jubemus te salvere, mater. Sa. Salvete puellae, Plaut. Rud. 1, 5, 5: amice benigneque honorem, mater, nostrum habes, id. ib. 1, 5, 30.—To goddesses: Vesta mater, Sen. Excerpt. Contr. 4, 2; Verg. G. 1, 498: mater Matuta, v. h. v.: Flora mater, Lucr. 5, 739; the same: florum, Ov. F. 5, 183: mater magna, or absol. : Mater, i. e. Cybele, the mother of all the gods : matris magnae sacerdos, Cic. Sest. 26; cf. absol. : matris quate cymbala circum, Verg. G. 4, 64; id. A. 9, 108: secreta palatia Matris, Juv. 9, 23: matres ... cives Romanae, ut jus liberorum consecutae videantur, Paul. Sent. 4, 9, 1: matris condicionem sequi, Gai. Inst. 1, 81; cf. §§ 67, 86.—Also, in gen., a woman, a lady; usu. in plur., women, ladies : pilentis matres in mollibus, Verg. A. 8, 666: matres atque viri, id. ib. 6, 306; cf. Ov. F. 1, 619.—Of the earth, as the mother of all: exercitum Dis Manibus matrique Terrae deberi, Liv. 8, 6; cf. Cic. Leg. 2, 22, 56.—Of a country: haec terra, quam matrem appellamus, Liv. 5, 54, 2: amorum, i. e. Venus , Ov. H. 16, 201: cupidinum, i. e. Venus , Hor. C. 1, 19, 1.—Of animals: porci cum matribus, Varr. R. R. 2, 4: excretos prohibent a matribus haedos, Verg. G. 3, 398: ova assunt ipsis cum matribus, i. e. cum gallinis, Juv. 11, 70: mater simia, id. 10, 195: pullus hirundinis ad quem volat mater, id. 10, 232.—Of the trunks of trees, etc.: plantas tenero abscindens de corpore matrum, Verg. G. 2, 23; Plin. 12, 5, 11, § 23.—Of a fountain , as the source of waters: ex grandi palude oritur (fluvius), quam matrem ejus accolae appellant, Mel. 2, 1, 7.—Of a chief or capital city: mater Italiae Roma, Flor. 3, 18, 5: ut Graeci dicere solent, urbium mater, Cydona, id. 3, 7, 4: (Cilicia) matrem urbium habet Tarsum, Sol. 38; cf. Metropolis.—
II Trop.
A The mother , i. e. maternal love : simul matrem labare sensit, Ov. M. 6, 629: mater redit, Sen. ap. Med. 928.—
B Motherhood, maternity , Sen. Herc. Oet. 389.—
C A producing cause, origin, source , etc. (freq. and class.): apes mellis matres, Varr. R. R. 2, 5: mater omnium bonarum artium sapientia est, Cic. Leg. 1, 22, 58: philosophia mater omnium bene factorum, id. Brut. 93, 322: avaritiae mater, luxuries, id. de Or. 2, 40, 171: voluptas, malorum mater omnium, id. Leg. 1, 17, 47; 1, 22, 58; id. Tusc. 1, 26, 64; id. Planc. 33, 80; Auct. Her. 2, 22, 34; Plin. 37, 6, 21, § 80; Quint. 9, 3, 89: juris et religionis, Cic. Rep. 5, 2, 3: justitiae imbecillitas mater est, id. ib. 3, 14, 23: intemperantia omnium perturbationum mater, id. Ac. 1, 10, 39: similitudo est satietatis mater, id. Inv. 1, 41, 76: utilitas justi prope mater et aequi, Hor. S. 1, 3, 98; Lact. 3, 8, 32; Aug. in Psa. 83, 1.—Comically: eam (sc. hirneam) ego vini ut matre fuerat natum, eduxi meri, i. e. as it came from the cask, without the addition of water , Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 274.—
D The protector, shelter, home : urbs Roma, virtutum omnium mater, Mos. et Rom. Leg. Coll. 5, 3, 1: illa Jerusalem quae est mater nostra, Vulg. Gal. 4, 26.