Synonyms

mam

American

[mam] / mæm /

noun

British Informal. mother.
ma'am.

mam British

/ mæm /

noun

informal another word for mother 1

"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 mam

First recorded in 1565–75;

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.

Nathan: If you asked my mam or dad, they'd say I was a headcase!

From BBC • Mar. 14, 2026

"My mam is coming at the weekend," he said.

From BBC • Jan. 16, 2026

I was out on the street and my mam was shouting, 'get in Jordan, you have school tomorrow'.

From BBC • Nov. 1, 2025

"It's natural to worry more about mam than myself because mam is putting herself in a vulnerable position to try to improve my life. It all depends on this now."

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2025

“Well, mam, it looks like her bed wasn’t slept in at all. The cover wasn’t even pulled back. Looks like somebody had just stretched out awhile and then got up. . . .”

From "Native Son" by Richard Wright

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