˜yĐÄvlog

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grandma

[ gran-mah, -maw, grand-, gram-, gram-muh ]

noun

Informal.


grandma

/ ˈɡrénˌmɑː; ˈɡrénd-; ˈɡrénməˌmɑː; ˈɡrénd-; ˈɡrém- /

noun

  1. informal words for grandmother
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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˜yĐÄvlog History and Origins

Origin of grandma1

First recorded in 1865–70; grand- + ma
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

And my grandma was huge — she had a big part in raising me, and I lost her too.

From

“This is where he lived with his dad, grandpa and grandma,” Murakami said.

From

"I'm at the hospital with my grandma and your voice always calms her down - thank you so much," one wrote.

From

His hotel room was old-fashioned and filthy, he said, resembling "his grandma's living room".

From

Were she still alive, my dear, beloved grandma would’ve reminded coach Cronin that when you point a finger there are three more pointing back at you.

From

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More About Grandma

What doesÌęgrandma mean?

Grandma is an informal word for grandmother—the mother of a person’s parent.

When a mother’s child has their own children, that mother becomes a grandma. The word ma is an informal way to say mother.

Grandma is often combined with a name, especially when a person has two grandmothers that they call Grandma, as in Grandma Marg and Grandma Marie.Ìę

Should grandma be capitalized?

Grandma should be capitalized when it’s used as a proper name, as in Please tell Grandma that I miss her.Ìę

But grandma does not need to be capitalized when it’s simply used as a way to refer to her, as in Please tell my grandma that I miss her.Ìę

Example: It doesn’t matter what you call your grandma, as long as you call her.

Where doesÌęgrandma come from?

The first records of the word grandma come from the 1700s. The word ma is a shortening of mama, which is first recorded in the 1500s but was certainly used in speech much earlier than that. The prefix grand- is used in family terms to indicate a person who is one generation removed, as in grandparent and grandchild. (The prefix great- indicates yet another generation, as in great-grandma.)

Grandmas often have special bonds with their grandchildren (who they’re known to spoil with love, affection, and candy). It’s common for grandchildren to refer to their grandmothers with informal names. Grandma is perhaps the most common variant of the word grandmother, but there are many others, including grandmom, gramma, grandmamma, gran, granny, and nana. Many families have their own specific version, such as meemaw and MaMotts.

Did you know ... ?

What are some synonyms for grandma?

What are some words that share a root or word element with grandma?Ìę

What are some words that often get used in discussing grandma?

How isÌęgrandma used in real life?

Grandma is perhaps the most common informal way of saying grandmother. When it’s used as a proper name, Grandma should be capitalized.

Ìę

Ìę

Try usingÌęgrandma!

Is grandma used correctly in the following sentence?

I’m a grandma of two and a mother of five, so I know a thing or two about temper tantrums.

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