maternal
Use Maternal in a sentence
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nl adjective
1.
of, pertaining to, having the qualities of, or befitting a mother: maternal instincts.
2.
related through a mother: his maternal aunt.
3.
derived from a mother: maternal genes.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To maternal
00:10
Maternal
is always a great word to know.
So is flibbertigibbet. Does it mean:
| a chattering or flighty, light-headed person. |
| a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
maternal (məˈtɜːnəl) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —adj | |
| 1. | of, relating to, derived from, or characteristic of a mother |
| 2. | related through the mother's side of the family: his maternal uncle |
| [C15: from Medieval Latin māternālis, from Latin māternus, from māter mother] | |
| ma'ternalism | |
| —n | |
| maternal'istic | |
| —adj | |
| ma'ternally | |
| —adv | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
maternal
late 15c., from O.Fr. maternel (14c.), from V.L. *maternalis, from L. maternus "maternal, of a mother," from mater "mother" (see mother).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary
maternal ma·ter·nal (mə-tûr'nəl)
adj.
Relating to or characteristic of a mother.
Inherited from one's mother.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Example sentences
Maternal guilt is not the only impediment to employment.
In parthenogenesis, an unfertilized egg develops into an embryo using its two sets of maternal chromosomes.
Invitations are extended to descendants down both the paternal and maternal lines, and a larger.
My parents met at my maternal grandfather's bowling center, where my dad competed.
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