allomother
noun
al·lo·moth·er
ˈa-lə-ˌmə-t͟hər 
plural allomothers
: an individual other than the biological mother of an offspring that performs the functions of a mother (as by caring for an infant temporarily)
The allomother suckled the second infant for two and one-half minutes before it was retrieved by its own mother.—
Sarah Blaffer Hrdy, The Langurs of Abu: Female and Male Strategies of Reproduction, 1980
Sarah Blaffer Hrdy, The Langurs of Abu: Female and Male Strategies of Reproduction, 1980… by five months of age, babies spend more time with allomothers than with their own mother …—Claudia R. Valeggia, in Substitute Parents: Biological and Social Perspectives on Alloparenting, 2009
Claudia R. Valeggia, in Substitute Parents: Biological and Social Perspectives on Alloparenting, 2009
allomother
verb, transitive + intransitive
allomothers; allomothered; allomothering
… older sisters are readily available to allomother their younger siblings …
—Bernard Chapais, in Cooperation in Primates and Humans: Mechanisms and Evolution, 2006
Bernard Chapais, in Cooperation in Primates and Humans: Mechanisms and Evolution, 2006
Among elephants, allomothering practice did not appear to compensate for direct experience with an offspring.
—Phyllis C. Lee, Animal Behaviour, February 1987
Phyllis C. Lee, Animal Behaviour, February 1987
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“Allomother.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/allomother. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.
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