the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English
n. The state or quality of being motherly.
The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
n. The quality of being motherly.
WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
n. the quality of having or showing the tenderness and warmth and affection of or befitting a mother
Word Usage
"The teacher whose influence is felt most and lasts longest is the one whose "motherliness" supplements her academic acquirements and supplies a sympathetic understanding of the child."