1
: the protuberance of a mammary gland upon which in the female the lactiferous ducts open and from which milk is drawn
2
a
: an artificial teat through which a bottle-fed infant nurses
b
: a device with an orifice through which the discharge of a liquid can be regulated
3
a
: a protuberance resembling or suggesting the nipple of a breast
b
: a small projection through which oil or grease is injected into machinery
4
: a pipe coupling consisting of a short piece of threaded tubing
Examples of nipple in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Radiation wasn’t bad compared with Tom’s waffle iron—until the last stretch, when my nipple became charred and blistered, like an over-roasted marshmallow.
—
Amanda Peet, New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2026
Females produce milk but have no nipples.
—Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 20 Mar. 2026
In pre-Christian Ireland, sucking breasts was a way of showing subjugation to a king and the cutting out of Old Croghan Man’s nipples is, historians believe, an indication that he had been thus stripped of his claims to kingship.
—Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 17 Mar. 2026
Moviegoers in 1968 probably weren't ready for an Old Hollywood legend like Katharine Hepburn to talk about hanging jewelry from her nipples, but that's just one of many outrageous lines that made her performance in The Lion in Winter so intoxicating to watch.
—Darren Franich, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nipple
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.
Amanda Peet, New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2026
Females produce milk but have no nipples.
—Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 20 Mar. 2026
In pre-Christian Ireland, sucking breasts was a way of showing subjugation to a king and the cutting out of Old Croghan Man’s nipples is, historians believe, an indication that he had been thus stripped of his claims to kingship.
—Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 17 Mar. 2026
Moviegoers in 1968 probably weren't ready for an Old Hollywood legend like Katharine Hepburn to talk about hanging jewelry from her nipples, but that's just one of many outrageous lines that made her performance in The Lion in Winter so intoxicating to watch.
—Darren Franich, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nipple
Cite this Entry
“Nipple.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nipple. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
nipple
noun
nip·ple
ˈnip-əl 
1
: the small protruding part of the gland that in females produces milk and from which a baby or young mammal sucks milk
2
: something resembling a nipple
especially
: the mouthpiece of a bottle from which an infant feeds
Medical Definition
nipple
noun
nip·ple
ˈnip-əl
1
: the protuberance of a mammary gland upon which in the female the lactiferous ducts open and from which milk is drawn
2
a
: an artificial teat through which a bottle-fed infant nurses
b
: a device with an orifice through which the discharge of a liquid can be regulated
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
