| paternal | 1. Of or pertaining to a father; fatherly; showing the disposition of a father; guiding or instructing as a father; as, paternal care. "Under paternal rule." 2. Received or derived from a father; hereditary; as, a paternal estate. "Their small paternal field of corn." (Dryden) Paternal government, the assumption by the governing power of a quasi-fatherly relation to the people, involving strict and intimate supervision of their business and social concerns, upon the theory that they are incapable of managing their own afffairs. Origin: L. Paternus, fr. Pater a father: cf. F. Paternel. See Father. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| paternal age | Age of the father. (12 Dec 1998) |
| paternal behaviour | The behaviour patterns associated with or characteristic of a father. (12 Dec 1998) |
| paternal deprivation | Prolonged separation of the offspring from the father. (12 Dec 1998) |
| paternal exposure | Exposure of the male parent, human or animal, to potentially harmful chemical, physical, or biological agents in the environment or to environmental factors that may include ionizing radiation, pathogenic organisms, or toxic chemicals that may affect offspring. (12 Dec 1998) |