maternal
/məˈtɜːnəl/adjective
1- of or relating to a mother, especially during pregnancy or shortly after childbirth母亲的; 孕妇的; 产妇的：
maternal age
育龄
maternal care.
产妇护理。
1.1
- attrib. related through the mother's side of the family母系的, 母亲一方的：
my maternal grandfather.
我的外公。
1.2
- denoting feelings associated with or typical of a mother; motherly母性的; 母亲般的：
maternal instincts.
母性的本能。
派生词
maternalism
nounmaternalist
adjectivematernalistic
adjectivematernally
adverb词源
late 15th cent.: from French maternel, from Latin maternus, from mater 'mother'.