A female godparent or sponsor at a baptism; a woman who stands as a witness at a religious ceremony.
From Scottish and Northern English dialect, derived from Middle English 'commer,' related to 'commère' (godmother) from Old French, ultimately from Latin 'cum' (with) and 'mater' (mother).
This word shows how languages preserve old family relationships that have faded from modern use—godparents used to be much more socially significant than they are today, which is why Scottish English kept this special term for female godparents alive.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.