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

believes that all women should breast-feed their babies
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The commission said the administration would research possible connections between children's oral health and chronic disease, update nutrition requirements for infant formula, and work to increase the rate of breastfeeding among American mothers. Will McDuffie, ABC News, 9 Sep. 2025 In the snap, Culpo smiled softly for the camera while breastfeeding the infant. Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2025 Legendairy Milk It was developed for breastfeeding moms to give them an immune boost and more energy, but the mix provides similar effects for everyone. Ramsey Qubein, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025 Some breastfeeding parents leak every few hours, while others leak every few minutes. Bestreviews, Mercury News, 5 Sep. 2025 The chef and cookbook author discusses breastfeeding in public and feeding her 14-month-old spicy food. Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 3 Sep. 2025 Many experts, however, recommend more for athletes, older adults and pregnant or breastfeeding women. Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 30 Aug. 2025 But after spending days in a hotel without electricity and with grocery stores running out of food, Gibson – who was breastfeeding – decided to drive to Texas, praying their fuel would last. Dian Zhang, USA Today, 29 Aug. 2025 Hearing of breastfeeding journeys from Black men in all forms of media can do wonders in normalizing breastfeeding within the Black community. Essence, 29 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1869, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of breastfeed was in 1869

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Breastfeed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/breastfeed. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

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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