Mother church

Mother Moth"er, a. Received by birth or from ancestors; native, natural; as, mother language; also acting the part, or having the place of a mother; producing others; originating. [1913 Webster]

It is the mother falsehood from which all idolatry is derived. --T. Arnold. [1913 Webster]

{Mother cell} (Biol.), a cell which, by endogenous divisions, gives rise to other cells (daughter cells); a parent cell.

{Mother church}, the original church; a church from which other churches have sprung; as, the mother church of a diocese.

{Mother country}, the country of one's parents or ancestors; the country from which the people of a colony derive their origin.

{Mother liquor} (Chem.), the impure or complex residual solution which remains after the salts readily or regularly crystallizing have been removed.

{Mother queen}, the mother of a reigning sovereign; a queen mother.

{Mother tongue}. (a) A language from which another language has had its origin. (b) The language of one's native land; native tongue.

{Mother water}. See {Mother liquor} (above).

{Mother wit}, natural or native wit or intelligence. [1913 Webster]