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Showing results for queen mother. Search instead for Queen+mother.
Synonyms

queen mother

American  

noun

  1. a queen dowager who is mother of a reigning sovereign.

queen mother British  

noun

  1. the widow of a former king who is also the mother of the reigning sovereign

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of queen mother

First recorded in 1570–80

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"I love the monarchy so I will wear this to mourn the queen mother."

From Barron's • Oct. 31, 2025

Camilla will then be anointed, in a form similar to that of Queen Elizabeth, the queen mother, in 1937.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 29, 2023

There was also the position of the kentake, or queen mother.

From Textbooks • Apr. 19, 2023

It was last brought out in public for the 2002 funeral of the queen mother, the last person to wear it, and the crown rested on a purple velvet pillow atop her coffin.

From Washington Post • Oct. 13, 2022

“My queen mother has reported whispers across all the regions of Rio Luna,” Llewelyn said, lowering his voice.

From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.