# grandmother

/ˈɡɹændˌməðɝ/ (US) · /ɡɹˈændmʌðɐ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/grandmother
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. parent's mother

noun · CEFR A1

the mother of your father or your mother.

For teachers: the mother of one's father or mother.

- My grandmother lives in a small house near the beach, and we visit her every summer.
- His grandmother celebrated her ninetieth birthday surrounded by three generations of her descendants, including twelve grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

### 2. female ancestor

noun · CEFR C1 · Literary

a woman from your family who lived a long time ago.

For teachers: a female ancestor or progenitor within a lineage.

- She wanted to learn more about her grandmothers who lived in the village centuries ago.
- The historian traced the lineage back to a common grandmother who had settled in the valley during the early colonial period.

### 3. shamanic spirit

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a respectful name for a powerful plant medicine used in some South American cultures.

For teachers: a reverential name for the ayahuasca vine or brew in Amazonian shamanism, personified as a wise guiding spirit.

- The shaman spoke of the grandmother as a teacher who shows people the truth.
- In traditional ceremonies, practitioners often refer to the brew as the grandmother, reflecting a deep spiritual relationship with the plant's perceived consciousness.

## Examples

- My grandmother visits us every Sunday for lunch.
- She inherited her love of gardening from her grandmother, who spent every afternoon in the backyard.
- The family gathered to celebrate their grandmother's eightieth birthday, sharing stories that spanned three generations of history.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.