also: けいぼ
noun
Refers to a woman who is married to one's father but is not one's biological mother. The reading ままはは is standard; けいぼ is a rare literary alternative.
彼女は私の継母です。
She is my stepmother.
継母との関係は複雑だ。
My relationship with my stepmother is complicated.
Search-only kanji form; not a standard spelling.
The kanji 継 means 'inherit' or 'succeed', reflecting the idea of a woman who takes over the role of mother. The reading ままはは is a native Japanese compound of まま (step-) and はは (mother).