madre de dios
madre de dios Lexical Profile
• noun
A major river in South America that originates in the Andes of southeastern Peru and flows into northern Bolivia to join the Beni River.
"The expedition navigated the winding currents of the Madre de Dios to study isolated ecological communities in the Amazon basin."
A heavily forested administrative department in southeastern Peru, situated in the Amazon basin and renowned for its extraordinary biodiversity and protected rainforests.
"Ecotourism has become a vital industry in Madre de Dios, drawing visitors to the pristine habitats of the region's national parks."
• interjection
An exclamation of astonishment, frustration, dismay, or awe, borrowed from Spanish.
""Madre de Dios, I've never seen a storm approach so quickly," he whispered as the sky turned a bruised purple."
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed directly from Spanish, literally meaning 'Mother of God'. In geography, it was named by Spanish colonists and Catholic missionaries operating in South America.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.