maternal

adjective

/məˈtɜːnl/

/məˈtɜːrnl/

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having feelings that are typical of a caring mother towards a child母亲的；母亲般慈爱的
- maternal love母爱
- I'm not very maternal.我不太像个母亲。
- She didn't have any maternal instincts.她没有一点做母亲的天性。
Topics Family and relationshipsc2
connected with being a mother母亲的；作为母亲的
- Maternal age affects the baby's survival rate.母亲的年龄影响婴儿的成活率。
- the effects of maternal smoking during pregnancy怀孕期间母亲吸烟的影响
[only before noun] related through the mother’s side of the family母系的；母亲方面的
- my maternal grandfather (= my mother’s father)我的外祖父
Topics Family and relationshipsc2

Word Originlate 15th cent.: from French maternel, from Latin maternus, from mater ‘mother’.