mamaw
(US, dialect, Southern US, less commonly) One's mother.
Seen in the wild
Accessibility links - [Skip to main content](https://www.npr.org/2024/07/18/nx-s1-5044620/jd-vance-grandmother-mamaw-rnc#mainContent) - [Keyboard shortcuts for audio player](https://help.npr.org/contact/s/article?name…
The incident would lead to a track that was otherwise described as something neither of them were "particularly excited by".[\[3\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mamaw's_House#cite_note-holler-3) However, it was not u…
She talks with Liane about her book _Mamaw: A Novel of an Outlaw Mother._** # Mamaw March 12, 200012:00 AM ET Heard on [Weekend Edition Sunday](https://www.npr.org/programs/weekend-edition-sunday/2000/03/12/12992315/)…
Definitions
(US, dialect, Southern US, less commonly) One's mother.
Comments
(US, dialect, Southern US) One's grandmother, especially one's maternal grandmother.
“Accessibility links - [Skip to main content](https://www.npr.org/2024/07/18/nx-s1-5044620/jd-vance-grandmother-mamaw-rnc#mainContent) - [Keyboard shortcuts for audio player](https://help.npr.org/contact/s/article?name=what-are-the-keyboard-shortcuts-for-using-the-npr-org-audio-player) **What we know about J.D.”
“The incident would lead to a track that was otherwise described as something neither of them were "particularly excited by".[\[3\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mamaw's_House#cite_note-holler-3) However, it was not until September 25, 2023, that he would officially announce the release.”
“She talks with Liane about her book _Mamaw: A Novel of an Outlaw Mother._** # Mamaw March 12, 200012:00 AM ET Heard on [Weekend Edition Sunday](https://www.npr.org/programs/weekend-edition-sunday/2000/03/12/12992315/) #### Mamaw **Audio will be available later today.** Zerelda James Samuel was the mother of Frank and Jesse James.”
Comments
(UK, dialect, Scottish lowlands) One's mother.
"mamaw" is a regional or dialect word meaning one's mother. It is most likely picked up from family, a particular part of the country, or a piece of regional media. There is nothing to worry about: dialect vocabulary is a sign of place and heritage, not of any risky behaviour. If anything, it is a nice opportunity to talk about where the word comes from and which side of the family or which place uses it.
"mamaw" is regional / dialectal English meaning one's mother. It is mainly heard in British English (and Irish English). A more formal or neutral equivalent would be something like "one's mother" expressed in standard vocabulary. A common mistake is to use "mamaw" outside its region; speakers from elsewhere may not understand it or may find it self-consciously local. If you are a B2 or C1 learner, it is useful to recognise this word when you hear or read it, but think carefully about whether the situation really calls for it before using it yourself.
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🇬🇧About British & Irish slang slang
UK and Irish slang — Cockney, Scouse, Geordie, Yorkshire, Glaswegian, Brummie, Welsh, West Country, plus Irish English. Centuries of regional dialects feeding into modern British and Irish street talk.
See all British & Irish slang slang on Slangora.
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- grandmaw78%
(US, dialect) grandmother.
- grandmaw76%
A warm Southern and Midwestern American dialectal term for grandmother, reflecting the broad, drawn-out vowels of regional speech. 'Grandmaw' is the kind of word that carries a whole sensory world with it — screen doors, sweet tea, and Sunday dinners. It's used affectionately and unselfconsciously in families across Appalachia, the Deep South, and parts of the Midwest, and it often signals close family bonds rather than any particular formality.
- mammy75%
(childish) mamma; mother.