mother wit

Noun

Synonyms: common sense good sense gumption horse sense sense mother wit

WordNet 3.0

Noun (1)

sound practical judgment“Common sense is not so common”“he hasn't got the sense God gave little green apples”“fortunately she had the good sense to run away”Synonyms: common sense good sense gumption horse sense sense mother wit

Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)

Mother \Moth"er\, a. Received by birth or from ancestors; native, natural; as, mother language; also acting the part, or having the place of a mother; producing others; originating. [1913 Webster]

It is the mother falsehood from which all idolatry is derived. --T. Arnold. [1913 Webster]

Mother cell (Biol.), a cell which, by endogenous divisions, gives rise to other cells (daughter cells); a parent cell.

Mother church, the original church; a church from which other churches have sprung; as, the mother church of a diocese.

Mother country, the country of one's parents or ancestors; the country from which the people of a colony derive their origin.

Mother liquor (Chem.), the impure or complex residual solution which remains after the salts readily or regularly crystallizing have been removed.

Mother queen, the mother of a reigning sovereign; a queen mother.

Mother tongue. (a) A language from which another language has had its origin. (b) The language of one's native land; native tongue.

Mother water. See Mother liquor (above).

Mother wit, natural or native wit or intelligence. [1913 Webster]