mamma

views updated Jun 08 2018

mam·ma¹ • n. variant spelling of mama.mam·ma² / ˈmamə/ • n. (pl. mam·mae / ˈmamē; ˈmamˌī/ ) a milk-secreting organ of female mammals (in humans, the breast). ∎ a corresponding nonsecretory structure in male mammals.DERIVATIVES: mam·mi·form / ˈmaməˌfôrm/ adj.

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English

mamma

views updated May 29 2018

mamma(mammatus) The Latin mamma, meaning ‘udder’, used to describe a cloud feature consisting of projections from the basal surface of altocumulus, altostratus, stratocumulus, cumulonimbus, cirrus, and cirrocumulus. See also cloud classification.

A Dictionary of Ecology MICHAEL ALLABY

mamma

views updated May 08 2018

mamma (mammatus) From the Latin mamma meaning ‘udder’, a cloud feature consisting of projections from the basal surface of altocumulus, altostratus, stratocumulus, cumulonimbus, cirrus, and cirrocumulus. See also CLOUD CLASSIFICATION.

A Dictionary of Earth Sciences AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY

mamma

views updated May 17 2018

mamma1, mama mother. XVI. repr. redupl. of a syllable instinctively uttered by young children; cf. Gr. mámmē, L. mamma (mother, teat, breast; see next), OSl., Russ., Lith. mama, Ir., W. mam. Shortened to ma (dial. and U.S.) XIX.

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology T. F. HOAD