godmother

English

Etymology

From Middle English godmoder, from Old English godmōdor (“godmother”), equivalent to god- +‎ mother. Cognate with Old High German gotmuoter (“godmother”), Old Norse guðmóðir (“godmother”), Icelandic guðmóður (“godmother”), Swedish gudmoder (“godmother”), Danish gudmor (“godmother”).

Pronunciation

  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈɡɒdmʌðə/
  • Audio (Southern England):(file)
  • Hyphenation: god‧mother

Noun

godmother (plural godmothers)

  1. A woman present at the christening of a baby who promises to help raise the child in a Christian manner; a female godparent who sponsors the baptism of a child.

Synonyms

Hypernyms

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Translations

Verb

godmother (third-person singular simple present godmothers, present participle godmothering, simple past and past participle godmothered)

  1. (transitive) To act as to.
    • 1909, H. G. Wells, Tono-Bungay:
      The servants took to her – as they say – she godmothered three Susans during her rule, the coachman's, the gardener's and the Up Hill gamekeeper's.

References

Middle English

Noun

godmother

  1. (Late Middle English) alternative form of godmoder
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