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

believes that all women should breast-feed their babies

Recent Examples on the Web

The shrinking rations have led to rising cases of malnutrition among children under 5 and pregnant and breastfeeding mothers. —Arkansas Online, 22 June 2025

My favorite section, hidden to the right — handscrolls can only be viewed one section at a time — illustrates a breastfeeding woman in the audience. —Lori Waxman, Chicago Tribune, 17 June 2025

However, there is not enough research to determine if larger quantities are unsafe while breastfeeding. —Ann Pietrangelo, Verywell Health, 16 June 2025

Then there’s the reverse extreme: nipple reduction — long, protruding, often sagging nipples that are the consequence of breastfeeding. —Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 16 June 2025

And rightfully so: postpartum recovery, breastfeeding schedules and hormonal shifts create a perfect storm of sleepless nights for new moms. —Pooja Shah, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025

Other less common but possible means of transmission are infected blood transfusions, infected organ transplants, breastfeeding, or occupational exposure in healthcare settings. —Katie Nadworny, Travel + Leisure, 6 June 2025

Infants usually stay with their mother more at the beginning just because of things like breastfeeding, but your child’s time with her father will eventually increase. —Jann Blackstone, Chicago Tribune, 10 June 2025

As seen in photos that quickly went viral, runner — and new mom — Stephanie Case sat down at three points along the demanding race course to breastfeed her six-month-old daughter. —Bill Chappell, NPR, 30 May 2025

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