mata

or Ma·ta

[ mah-tuh, mah-tah ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

, Indian English.

mother (also used as a polite term of address for any older woman):
My mata regularly made me puris with potatoes for breakfast.
a female spiritual leader or the mother, grandmother, or wife of a male spiritual leader (also used as a title with the leader’s name):
This temple was built as a tribute to Mata Sheetla Devi, wife of the famous Guru Dronacharya.
The lodge owner turned out to be a mata whom the villagers visited to hear their astrological predictions.
a female deity (also used as a title with the deity’s name):
He was a devotee writing about lord Rama and mata Sita.
Cows are considered to be a manifestation of the goddess Gau Mata.

Origin of mata¹

First recorded in 1870–75; from Sanskrit mātā, nominative of mātṛ “mother”; mother ¹( def )

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