grandmother

[ gran-muhth-er, grand-, gram- ]

noun

1. the mother of one's father or mother.
2. a female ancestor.

grandmother

/ ˈɡrænd-; ˈɡrænˌmʌðə /

noun

1. the mother of one's father or mother
2. often plural a female ancestor
3. often capital a familiar term of address for an old woman
4. teach one's grandmother to suck eggs
   See egg 1

Word History and Origins

Origin of grandmother¹

late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; grand-, mother ¹

Example Sentences

Within minutes, the mother of seven and grandmother of 14 lay dying in the dust of the olive grove, with a bullet wound in her chest - she’d been shot by an Israeli soldier.

From BBC

However, she said her daughter had been severely affected when she was 13 years old by the death of her grandmother.

From BBC

"Today I want them to be proud of their grandmother," she declared.

From BBC

A body found floating in the Dominguez Channel in Carson in July is that of a missing grandmother.

From Los Angeles Times

A sadness worse than what I experienced after the death of my mother, my father and my grandmother.

From Salon

Related Words

• ancestor
• grandma
• granny
• matriarch

More About Grandmother

What does grandmother mean?

A grandmother is the mother of a person’s parent.

When a mother’s child has their own children, that mother becomes a grandmother.

Less commonly, grandmother can be used in a general way to refer to a female ancestor, as in This would not be possible without the contributions of those who came before us, our many grandmothers.

Should grandmother be capitalized?

Grandmother should be capitalized when it’s used as a proper name, as in Please tell Grandmother that I miss her. 

But grandmother does not need to be capitalized when it’s simply used as a way to refer to her, as in Please tell my grandmother that I miss her. 

Example: It doesn’t matter what you call your grandmother, as long as you call her.

Where does grandmother come from?

The first records of the word grandmother come from around 1400. The prefix grand- is used in family terms to indicate a person who is one generation removed, as in grandparent and grandchild. (The prefix great- indicates yet another generation, as in great-grandmother.)

Grandmothers often have special bonds with their grandchildren (who they’re known to spoil with love, affection, and candy). It’s common for grandchildren to refer to their grandmothers with informal names. Common variants of grandmother include grandma, grandmom, gramma, grandmamma, gran, granny, and nana, but many families have their own specific version, such as meemaw and MaMotts.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to grandmother?

• grandmotherly (adverb)

What are some synonyms for grandmother?

• grandma
• grandmom
• grandmama
• grandmamma
• granny
• nana

What are some words that share a root or word element with grandmother? 

• great-grandmother
• grandparent
• grandfather
• mother

What are some words that often get used in discussing grandmother?

• grandchildren
• love
• kindness
• spoil
• special
• care
• family
• matriarch

How is grandmother used in real life?

There are many informal variants of the word grandmother. When it’s used as a proper name, Grandmother should be capitalized.

Here's to all the grandmothers who are still raising their children's children and doing the best they know.#iyanlafixmylife

— Oprah Winfrey (@Oprah) October 14, 2012

My grandmother has Alzheimer’s disease and fully recognized me all day today. I got a chance to connect with her and fill her in on life 🌹

— Francheska (@HeyFranHey) October 26, 2017

My grandmother is now in love with @justinbieber.

— Ariana Grande (@ArianaGrande) August 8, 2013

 

 

Try using grandmother!

Is grandmother used correctly in the following sentence?

I’m a grandmother of two and a mother of five, so I know a thing or two about temper tantrums.