breastfeed

verb

breast·​feed ˈbrest-ˌfēd How to pronounce breastfeed (audio)
variants or breast-feed
breastfed or breast-fed; breastfeeding or breast-feeding; breastfeeds or breast-feeds

transitive verb

: to feed (a baby) from a mother's breast

intransitive verb

1
: to breastfeed a baby
… more women are breastfeeding than ever before …Lauren Sandler
2
of a baby : to feed oneself by sucking milk from a mother's breast
breastfed adjective
or breast-fed
breastfed babies
breastfeeder noun
or breast-feeder
breastfeeding noun
or breast-feeding

Examples of breastfeed in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Family leave paid during infancy increases the likelihood of breastfeeding and lowers prenatal stress, which is important to infant health. Kara Dennison, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023 An unplanned C-section and ongoing struggles with breastfeeding meant my fourth trimester (the 12 weeks after giving birth, which many experts now believe is as crucial to a mother’s health as their first three trimesters) was filled with unexpected challenges. Liz Hammond, Vogue, 26 Oct. 2023 Note that, under the Affordable Care Act, health insurance plans are required to pay for breastfeeding supplies and support. Madison Medeiros, Parents, 23 Oct. 2023 In 2018 English runner Sophie Power ran the 105-mile Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc race in the Alps while still breastfeeding her three-month-old at rest stations. Cara Ocobock, Scientific American, 19 Oct. 2023 Is Herbal Viagra safe to use during pregnancy or while breastfeeding? Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 16 Oct. 2023 The same goes for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. Melissa Rudy, Fox News, 3 Nov. 2023 Some causes include health conditions like PID or PCOS, breastfeeding, weight changes, and hormone changes. Kiera Aaron, Health, 31 Oct. 2023 Heather Rae El Moussa is sharing an update on her breastfeeding journey. Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 19 Oct. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'breastfeed.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1869, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of breastfeed was in 1869

Dictionary Entries Near breastfeed

Cite this Entry

“Breastfeed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/breastfeed. Accessed 28 Nov. 2023.

Kids Definition

breast-feed

verb
ˈbrest-ˌfēd
breast-fed
-ˌfed
; breast-feeding
: to feed a baby from a mother's breast

Medical Definition

breastfeed

verb
breast·​feed
variants or breast-feed
ˈbrest-ˌfēd
breastfed or breast-fed; breastfeeding or breast-feeding; breastfeeds or breast-feeds

transitive verb

: to feed (a baby) from a mother's breast

intransitive verb

1
: to breastfeed a baby
2
of a baby : to feed oneself by sucking milk from a mother's breast
breastfed adjective
or breast-fed
breastfed babies
breastfeeder noun
or breast-feeder
This class for first-time breastfeeders will be from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. The Reno (Nevada) Gazette-Journal
On average, infants who were exclusive breast-feeders continued to drink more as they got older … The Philadelphia Inquirer
breastfeeding noun
or breast-feeding

More from Merriam-Webster on breastfeed

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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