grandmother

[gran-muhth-er, grand-, gram-]

noun

1. the mother of one's father or mother.

2. a female ancestor.

grandmother

/ ˈɡrænd-, ˈɡrænˌmʌðə /

noun

1. the mother of one's father or mother

2. (often plural) a female ancestor

3. (often capital) a familiar term of address for an old woman

4. See egg 1

Word History and Origins

Origin of grandmother¹

late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; grand-, mother ¹

Example Sentences

Eighty-six years ago, when a kiddie fare cost 15 cents, my then-6-year-old grandmother watched the theater blink from sepia to vivid color splendor.

From Los Angeles Times

One of the strikes killed the parents and two sisters of three-year-old Ibrahim al-Mabhuh, his grandmother said.

From BBC

As children, their grandmother would ask them to speak to the moon, sharing what they wanted to let go of — and what they hoped to welcome in.

From Los Angeles Times

It was initially her grandmother who taught Hurtado to sew, as it was a skill most Venezuelan girls acquired during childhood.

From Los Angeles Times

The sisters' father, Mohammed Maroof, was born in Kerala but was adopted by his grandmother after he was orphaned at the age of nine.

From BBC

Related Words

• ancestor 
• grandma 
• granny 
• matriarch 

When To Use

What does grandmother mean?

A grandmother is the mother of a person’s parent.When a mother’s child has their own children, that mother becomes a grandmother.Less commonly, grandmother can be used in a general way to refer to a female ancestor, as in This would not be possible without the contributions of those who came before us, our many grandmothers.Should grandmother be capitalized?Grandmother should be capitalized when it’s used as a proper name, as in Please tell Grandmother that I miss her. But grandmother does not need to be capitalized when it’s simply used as a way to refer to her, as in Please tell my grandmother that I miss her. Example: It doesn’t matter what you call your grandmother, as long as you call her.