breastfeed
verb
breast·feed
ˈbrest-ˌfēd 
variants
or breast-feed
breastfed or breast-fed; breastfeeding or breast-feeding; breastfeeds or breast-feeds
: to feed (a baby) from a mother's breast
1
: to breastfeed a baby
… more women are breastfeeding than ever before …—
Lauren Sandler
Lauren Sandler2
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
believes that all women should breast-feed their babies
Recent Examples on the Web
Prevents nutrient loss from overheating, a top concern for breastfeeding parents.
—Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 12 Nov. 2025
After giving birth to her second child in April, the 32-year-old was determined to continue breastfeeding her son — a choice that was both personally important and financially necessary for her family.
—Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 9 Nov. 2025
For example, intermittent fasting is not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women, young children, Type 1 diabetics, folks with a history of eating disorders, etc.
—Bryant Stamford, Louisville Courier Journal, 6 Nov. 2025
The cash payments have also led to higher birth weights and longer breastfeeding periods for babies, the Bridge Project says, both of which signal healthier starts to a child's life.
—Jordan Smith, IndyStar, 5 Nov. 2025
However, access to HIV medication was explicitly limited to only pregnant and breastfeeding women.
—Robin Lin Miller, The Conversation, 5 Nov. 2025
Hamida discovers the newborn still attached to her corpse by umbilical cord and saves him, breastfeeding and caring for the infant as her own.
—JSTOR Daily, 30 Oct. 2025
Around 65,000 Arkansans participate in WIC, which offers food benefits, breastfeeding help and other health resources to low-income families.
—Arkansas Online, 29 Oct. 2025
Doctors recommend that people who are pregnant or breastfeeding skip fillers, as well as those who are allergic to specific ingredients for in fillers.
—Kara Nesvig, Allure, 27 Oct. 2025
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Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 12 Nov. 2025
After giving birth to her second child in April, the 32-year-old was determined to continue breastfeeding her son — a choice that was both personally important and financially necessary for her family.
—Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 9 Nov. 2025
For example, intermittent fasting is not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women, young children, Type 1 diabetics, folks with a history of eating disorders, etc.
—Bryant Stamford, Louisville Courier Journal, 6 Nov. 2025
The cash payments have also led to higher birth weights and longer breastfeeding periods for babies, the Bridge Project says, both of which signal healthier starts to a child's life.
—Jordan Smith, IndyStar, 5 Nov. 2025
However, access to HIV medication was explicitly limited to only pregnant and breastfeeding women.
—Robin Lin Miller, The Conversation, 5 Nov. 2025
Hamida discovers the newborn still attached to her corpse by umbilical cord and saves him, breastfeeding and caring for the infant as her own.
—JSTOR Daily, 30 Oct. 2025
Around 65,000 Arkansans participate in WIC, which offers food benefits, breastfeeding help and other health resources to low-income families.
—Arkansas Online, 29 Oct. 2025
Doctors recommend that people who are pregnant or breastfeeding skip fillers, as well as those who are allergic to specific ingredients for in fillers.
—Kara Nesvig, Allure, 27 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Breastfeed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/breastfeed. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
breastfeed
verb
breast·feed
variants
or breast-feed
ˈbrest-ˌfēd
breastfed or breast-fed; breastfeeding or breast-feeding; breastfeeds or breast-feeds
: to feed (a baby) from a mother's breast
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
The Reno (Nevada) Gazette-Journal
On average, infants who were exclusive breast-feeders continued to drink more as they got older …
—The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Philadelphia Inquirer
breastfeeding
noun
or breast-feeding
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