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maternities

Variant of maternity

noun pl. maternities

  1. the state of being a mother; motherhood
  2. the character or qualities of a mother; motherliness
  3. a maternity ward in a hospital

adjective

  1. for a woman when pregnant or around the time of giving birth: maternity dress, maternity leave
  2. for the care of women giving birth and of newborn babies: a maternity ward

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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