mammal

noun

mam·​mal ˈma-məl How to pronounce mammal (audio)
: any of a class (Mammalia) of warm-blooded higher vertebrates (such as placentals, marsupials, or monotremes) that nourish their young with milk secreted by mammary glands, have the skin usually more or less covered with hair, and include humans
mammalian adjective or noun
mammal-like adjective
or less commonly mammallike
mammal-like behavior
mammallike reptiles

Examples of mammal in a Sentence

Human beings, dogs, and cats are all mammals.
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 achievement marks a new milestone in the fight against the giant snakes, which are considered one of the greatest threats to the Everglades ecosystem because of their ability to prey on mammals, birds and other native wildlife. Sonia Osorio, Miami Herald, 11 June 2026 The film explores the increasingly challenging coexistence of humans with polar bears – the world’s largest land predators – as climate change forces the mammals closer to human settlements to hunt for food, making dangerous encounters unavoidable. Annika Pham, Variety, 11 June 2026 After the non-avian dinosaur extinction 66 million years ago, placental mammals diversified explosively. Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026 In areas of Everglades National Park, where the snakes started showing up in the 1980s, sightings of mammals such as marsh rabbits, raccoons, opossums, bobcats and deer have plummeted by 80% to 99%, depending on species. Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 11 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for mammal

Word History

Etymology

from base of New Latin Mammalia (Linnaeus), class name, noun derivative from neuter plural of mammālis, from Latin mamma "breast, udder" + -ālis -al entry 1 — more at mamma entry 1

First Known Use

1811, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of mammal was in 1811

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mammal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mammal. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

mammal

noun
mam·​mal ˈmam-əl How to pronounce mammal (audio)
: any of a class of warm-blooded vertebrates that include human beings and all other animals that nourish their young with milk produced by mammary glands and have the skin usually more or less covered with hair

Medical Definition

mammal

noun
mam·​mal ˈmam-əl How to pronounce mammal (audio)
: any of the higher vertebrate animals comprising the class Mammalia
mammalian adjective or noun

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