Meanings
nounmammy (plural mammies)
plural mammies · alternative mamie · alternative mammie
- USderogatoryhistoricaloftenIn the southern United States, a black nanny employed to look after white children; or in the antebellum South, a female slave who was close to the household and looked after the children.
That's what you for—to help white folks keep niggers down. That's why he sent you to me. They be calling you mammy in a few years. You be running the whole house when the old man dies.
1979, Octavia Butler, Kindred
Synonyms & antonyms
nouninformal terms for a mother
Broader
motherfemale parent
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Englishmam
- Englishmamma
- Englishmammy
From mam + -y, or from mamma + -y.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
French maman
- mamanchild's name for mother
German Mami, Mama.
- Mamichild's name for mother
- Mama.child's name for mother
Hebrew אמא
- אמאchild's name for mother
Portuguese mamãe
- mamãechild's name for mother
Spanish mamá, mami.
- mamáchild's name for mother
- mami.child's name for mother
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with mammy
MiamisammytammygrammySamichamoisdammewhammysammieTammiBeltramitammiejammyclammyramiehammyspammylambiePammyammyammiebammyblammybrami
All rhymes →Cite this entry
APA
mammy. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mammy
MLA
“mammy.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mammy. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “mammy,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mammy.
Source: mammy on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.