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 of breastfeed

• nurse
• suckle

Examples of breastfeed in a Sentence

believes that all women should breast-feed their babies

Recent Examples on the Web

The company has purchased Swehl, an online education platform for new parents that also makes an eight-piece breastfeeding Latch Kit for $100, as well as Momtech, the manufacturer behind the Mōmi brand known for its patented breast-like bottles. — Noor Lobad, Footwear News, 27 Oct. 2026

One segment has stakes; the other has Moe, as Maggie, demanding that Marge breastfeed him. — Joshua Kurp, Vulture, 26 Oct. 2026

Women whose first full-term pregnancy comes at 35 or older may face slightly higher risk, while breastfeeding for a year or longer may offer modest protection. — Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 14 Oct. 2026

With dizzying speed and less-than-rigorous due process, all five of the Gheorghiu children—including the youngest, who’s still breastfeeding—are taken away and placed into foster care. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2026

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