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 In the pic, the model and writer beams at her little girl while breastfeeding her in a ridiculously cute sunlit bedroom. Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 18 Sep. 2023 Hazel said the services helped normalize her experience breastfeeding. Allana Haynes, Baltimore Sun, 13 Sep. 2023 As soon as your oestrogen levels recover–usually after birth or when breastfeeding ends–the extra hair moves quickly through the middle two phases and into the exogen phase, resulting in more hair to be shed–in some cases up to four times as much a day as usual. Georgia Day, Vogue, 11 Sep. 2023 With inflation considerations, the voucher amounts increased to $25 per month for child participants, $44 for pregnant and postpartum participants, and $49 for fully and partially breastfeeding participants in the 2023 fiscal year. Grace Segers, The New Republic, 8 Sep. 2023 Pregnant or breastfeeding individuals are advised to consume between 8 and 12 ounces of low-mercury fish per week for developmental benefits for the baby. USA TODAY, 4 Sep. 2023 Related: How formula companies continue to thwart breastfeeding The White House even announced in 2022 that HHS would begin enforcing the ACA policy on breastfeeding support. Andrea Ippolito, STAT, 1 Sep. 2023 And note that botulinum toxin injections are not recommended for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. Brian Underwood, Women's Health, 31 Aug. 2023 However, despite the health benefits, women are often discouraged from breastfeeding due to social stigma and other inequitable practices and policies. Emma Obregón Dominguez, BostonGlobe.com, 24 Aug. 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 30 Sep. 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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