# motherhouse

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. The monastery from which the other 'houses' of a religious order or congregation were (directly or indirectly) founded, often eponymous.
2. The convent which is the seat (and often the above original foundation) of the superior of an order or congregation, and/or on which lower ranking houses (such as priories under an abbot) depend.

## Etymology
From mother + house.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/motherhouse