WordNet
maternal quality
n. the quality of having or showing the tenderness and warmth and affection of or befitting a mother; "the girl's motherliness made her invaluable in caring for the children" [syn: motherliness, maternalism, maternity]
Usage examples of "maternal quality".
It was her usual greeting to everyone from impresarios to back-row chorus singers, and when applied to me still utterly lacked any maternal quality.
There was an air of sweet, soft femininity, almost a maternal quality about Honoria, which made her appear a trifle fragile.