godmother
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
a woman who promises to help look after a child and support their upbringing, often chosen by the parents at a baptism.
a female godparent who sponsors a child at their baptism or naming ceremony, assuming a symbolic or religious responsibility for the child's welfare.
Simple“She asked her best friend to be the godmother of her new baby girl.”
In context“In many cultures, the godmother plays a significant role in the child's life, providing guidance and support that complements the parents' efforts.”
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”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.