moth·er·hood

[muhth-er-hood]
noun
1.
the state of being a mother; maternity.
2.
the qualities or spirit of a mother.
3.
mothers collectively.
adjective
4.
having or relating to an inherent worthiness, justness, or goodness that is obvious or unarguable: legislation pushed through on a motherhood basis.

Origin:
1375–1425; late Middle English moderhed. See mother1, -hood

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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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00:10
Motherhood is always a great word to know.
So is doohickey. Does it mean:
a gadget; dingus; thingumbob.
a chattering or flighty, light-headed person.
Collins
World English Dictionary
motherhood (ˈmʌðəˌhʊd) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n
1.  the state of being a mother
2.  the qualities characteristic of a mother

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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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

motherhood
1590s, from mother + -hood.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
The focus is on fitness, health and nutrition, and pregnancy and motherhood.
The burdens of motherhood catapulted her into deep depressions.
For the writer, winter is a backdrop to perilous stories of birth and the
  radiant exhaustion of new motherhood.
Anna believed that her student schedule worked fairly well with motherhood.
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