mother-in-law

From Middle English moder in lawe; equivalent to mother +‎ -in-law.

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /ˈmʌ.ðəɹ.ɪnˌlɔː/ (enPR: mŭˈ -thər-ĭn-lôˌ)
• (cot–caught merger) IPA^(key): /ˈmʌ.ðəɹ.ɪnˌlɑː/ (enPR: -läˌ)

• Audio (US):

  (file)

mother-in-law (countable and uncountable, plural (colloquial, nonstandard) mothers-in-law or mother-in-laws)

1. The mother of one's spouse.

   Hypernyms: in-law, parent-in-law

   Coordinate terms: father-in-law, mother-out-law

   • 2008 January 10, “Scared of this? You must be lutraphobic”, in The Daily Mail‎^[1]:

     Odontophobia, or the fear of dental work, seems equally plausible, as does pentheraphobia - fear of the mother-in-law.

2. A mother-in-law apartment.
3. A mother-in-law sandwich.
4. (dated) A stepmother.
5. (uncountable) A spicy Caribbean sauce made with peppers, carrots, onions, lime juice, etc.

(mother of one's spouse):

• ma-in-law (colloquial), mom-in-law (US, informal), mum-in-law (British, informal)
• saas (India)
• shviger (US slang)

• mother-in-law apartment
• mother-in-law language
• mother-in-law sandwich
• mother-in-law style
• (uncommon) co-mother-in-law

• brother-in-law
• daughter-in-law
• father-in-law
• sister-in-law
• son-in-law