godmother
/ˈɡɒdmʌðə/ noun, verb
Forms godmothers godmothering godmothered
- noun A woman present at the christening of a baby who promises to help raise the child in a Christian manner; a female godparent who sponsors the baptism of a child.
- verb (transitive) To act as godmother to.
Synonyms
Etymology
From Middle English godmoder, from Old English godmōdor (“godmother”), equivalent to god- + mother. Cognate with Old High German gotmuoter (“godmother”), Old Norse guðmóðir (“godmother”), Icelandic guðmóður (“godmother”), Swedish gudmoder (“godmother”), Danish gudmor (“godmother”).
Webster’s 1913
Etymology [AS. godm.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “godmother”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details