mama bear

See also: mama-bear

English

WOTD – 13 May 2012, 13 May 2013, 13 May 2014, 13 May 2015

Alternative forms

• mamma bear, momma bear (US), mumma bear (Commonwealth)

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Noun

mama bear (plural mama bears)

1. (informal) A female bear currently rearing one or more cubs.
2. (by extension, slang) A woman, especially a mother, who is extremely protective of a child or children.
   • 2009, Kimberly Van Meter, Kids on the Doorstep, →ISBN, dedication, page 6:

     To my sister, Kristen, who wears the badge of motherhood with pride and inspires people to love without reservation, without judgment, without fear. She is a mama bear and a wonder to watch in action!

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:mama bear.

Synonyms

• (woman protective of a child or children): mama grizzly

Synonyms

• helicopter mom
• tiger mom, tiger mother

Hypernyms

• helicopter parent

Derived terms

• (adjectival) mama-bear

Translations

female bear with cubs

Dutch: moederbeer m, moederberen pl, berenmoeder f, berenmoeders pl Finnish: karhuemo

protective woman

Chinese: Mandarin: please add this translation if you can Dutch: helikoptermoeder (nl) f, helikoptermoeders (nl) pl, moederkloek f, moederkloeken pl, curlingmoeder (nl) f, curlingmoeders (nl) pl Finnish: hanhiemo French: mère poule (fr) f German: Helikoptermutti f Norwegian: Bokmål: curlingmamma m, hønemor (no) m or f Portuguese: mãe coruja f Russian: please add this translation if you can