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

Synonyms

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

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.
Back in December, Kent appeared on an episode of the Not Skinny But Not Fat podcast and spoke about how she's been breastfeeding Sosa. — Hannah Sacks, People.com, 5 Mar. 2025 Children, people age 65 and older, and people who are pregnant or breastfeeding should consult a provider before taking Benadryl. — Alex Yampolsky, Verywell Health, 4 Mar. 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

breastfeed
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Cite this Entry

“Breastfeed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/breastfeed. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.

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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

Nglish: Translation of breastfeed for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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