housemother

[ hous-muhth-er ]

noun

1. a woman in charge of a residence, especially for children, students, or young women, who acts as hostess, chaperon, and occasionally as housekeeper.

Other Words From

• housemother·ly adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of housemother¹

First recorded in 1830–40; house + mother ¹

Example Sentences

Melissa follows behind, Dasani slams the door in her housemother’s face.

From New York Times

Before long, a housemother at the school was punishing them for it.

From Washington Post

But she changed her major to chemistry on the advice of her housemother; World War II was creating new opportunities for women in a field that had been a male preserve.

From Seattle Times

Sorority sisters and their drunken housemother fall prey to an obscene yuletide caller.

From Los Angeles Times

Ghosts invade a sorority on Halloween night, and when the housemother starts killing the sisters, the survivors have to make it through the night.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• dowager
• housekeeper
• matriarch