mother hen

noun

1. a person who attends to the welfare of others, especially one who is fussily protective.

Word History and Origins

Origin of mother hen¹

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

For 14 years, as she advanced at The Observer, she said she avoided his desk and chaperoned interns “like a mother hen crossing a busy road.”

From New York Times

A mother hen who pecked when necessary but more often took everyone under her wing.

From Los Angeles Times

He cast the “mother hen” of Second City, Sue Gillan, as his character’s mentor, and one of his teachers, Claudia Wallace, as a hostile receptionist.

From Los Angeles Times

Studies have shown that calves recover faster after dehorning when allowed to return to their social group, and chicks benefit from being near their mother hen after experiencing a mild stressor.

From Washington Post

Skate center assistant manager Nea Thompson, the facility’s self-proclaimed “mother hen,” said she had watched a lot of the kids grow up at the rink.

From Washington Post