maternity
pronunciation
How to pronounce maternity in British English:
UK [məˈtɜ:nəti]
How to pronounce maternity in American English:
US [məˈtɜrnəti]
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- Noun:
- the state of being pregnant; the period from conception to birth when a woman carries a developing fetus in her uterus
- the kinship relation between an offspring and the mother
- the quality of having or showing the tenderness and warmth and affection of or befitting a mother
Word Origin
- maternity (n.)
- 1610s, "quality or condition of being a mother," from French maternité "motherhood" (15c.), from Medieval Latin maternitatem (nominative maternitas) "motherhood," from Latin maternus (see maternal). Used from 1893 as a quasi-adjective in reference to garments designed for pregnant women.
Example
- 1. In hong kong maternity wards , a deluge of mainland mothers
- 2. They are charged higher premiums for health insurance yet still have greater out-of-pocket expenses for things as basic as contraception and maternity care .
- 3. In ms raut 's ten-bed maternity ward , five extra mattresses are laid out on the floor .
- 4. The planned closure of a local maternity ward is a hot topic .
- 5. Umaid hospital was about to descend into crisis : up and down the maternity ward , new mothers were mysteriously starting to die .