the state of being or becoming a mother 母亲身份；怀孕 maternity clothes (= clothes for women who are pregnant) 孕妇装 a maternity ward/hospital (= one where women go to give birth to their babies) 产科病房；妇产医院
Oxford Collocations DictionaryMaternity is used before these nouns:- benefit
- bra
- care
- …
Word Originearly 17th cent.: from French maternité, from Latin maternus, from mater ‘mother’.