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Webster's New World College Dictionary » maternal
maternal
maternal definition
ma·ter·nal (mə tʉr′nəl)
adjective
- of, like, or characteristic of a mother or motherhood; motherly
- derived, received, or inherited from a mother
- related through the mother's side of the family maternal grandparents
Etymology: ME < MFr maternel < L maternus < mater, mother
Related Forms:
- maternally ma·ter′·nally adverb
Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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