maternal : Idioms & Phrases
maternal language
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noun one's native language; the language learned by children and passed from one generation to the next
first language; mother tongue.
WordNet
maternal quality
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noun the quality of having or showing the tenderness and warmth and affection of or befitting a mother
motherliness; maternalism; maternity.
- the girl's motherliness made her invaluable in caring for the children
WordNet
maternal-infant bonding
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noun the attachment that forms between an infant and its mother beginning at birth
- maternal-infant bonding influences the child's psychological and physical development