breastfeed

verb

breast·​feed ˈbrest-ˌfēd 

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

Synonyms

• nurse
• suckle
• wet-nurse

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

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Word History

First Known Use

1869, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

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