# mother-in-law

Pronunciation: say "MUTH-ur-in-law" /ˈmʌ.ðəɹ.ɪnˌlɔː/

## Noun

1. A person's mother by marriage: the mother of one's husband or wife.
   - Simple: The mother of the person you are married to.
   - _She invited her mother-in-law to help plan the wedding._
   - _Relations between the new bride and her mother-in-law gradually warmed over the years._
2. A small, self-contained living unit within or attached to a single-family house, typically intended for a relative.
   - Simple: A small separate apartment built into or next to a home, often for a relative.
   - _They added a mother-in-law above the garage for his aging father._
   - _The listing advertised a finished basement with a separate mother-in-law._
3. A Chicago specialty consisting of a corn tamale served inside a hot dog bun and topped with chili.
   - Simple: A Chicago food made of a tamale on a hot dog bun with chili on top.
   - _He ordered a mother-in-law and a cold soda after his shift._
   - _Nothing beats a mother-in-law from the stand on the corner._
4. A spicy Caribbean sauce made with peppers, carrots, onions, lime juice, and other ingredients.
   - Simple: A spicy sauce from the Caribbean made with peppers, carrots, onions, lime juice, and other things.
   - _She spooned mother-in-law over the grilled fish._
   - _The recipe calls for a generous splash of mother-in-law._

## Noun

5. A stepmother; the woman married to one's parent who is not one's biological mother. *(dated)*
   - Simple: A woman married to your father who is not your birth mother: a stepmother.
   - _The widower's children resented their mother-in-law, who had taken their late mother's place._
   - _Her diary complained bitterly of the mother-in-law her father had brought home._

## Origin

From Middle English "moder in lawe," equivalent to "mother" combined with the suffix "-in-law."

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/mother-in-law (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).