1. Home
2. Idioms
3. mater

mater

---

---

alma mater

1. The school that one attended. One typically only uses the term after graduating from the school. I am visiting my alma mater this weekend, and I hope that some of my old professors are still there. Your alma mater did not fare so well in the big game!

2. A school's official song. In high school, we had to memorize the words to our alma mater. They play the alma mater every year at graduation.

See also: alma, mater

the alma mater

  (American)

the official song of a school, college or university We ended our class reunion by singing the alma mater.

See also: alma, mater

your alma mater

  (formal)

the school, college, or university where you studied She has been offered the position of professor of international economic policy at Princeton, her alma mater.

See also: alma, mater

alma mater

Also, Alma Mater. The school or college one attended and, usually, graduated from, as in During football season I always check to see how my alma mater is doing. This expression sometimes refers to the institution's official song, as in I never did learn the words to my college's alma mater. The term is Latin for "kind mother." [c. 1800]

See also: alma, mater