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

Hospitals have reported that cases of malnourished pregnant and breastfeeding women are rising sharply, and most newborns are now being born underweight. —Wafaa Shurafa, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2025

Hospitals have reported that cases of malnourished pregnant and breastfeeding women are rising sharply, and most babies are now being born underweight. —Elena Becatoros, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2025

At the time, pediatrics was a new specialty trying to prove its worth, and practitioners mistakenly believed in sticking to a strict schedule for breastfeeding, which actually limited breastmilk supply. — Made By History, Time, 29 Apr. 2025

The ‘bros’ have dominated longevity health for too long That opportunity and the unfiltered realities of parenthood have now grown Frida to more than 150 products, covering everything from conception to post-partum and breastfeeding care, and beyond. —Eric Rosenbaum, CNBC, 29 Apr. 2025

There is insufficient safety data on creatine supplementation during pregnancy or breastfeeding to recommend it. —Mary Choy, Verywell Health, 18 Apr. 2025

Given the prevalence of waterborne illness in the community, breastfeeding can significantly improve the health of a baby, in addition to giving them the critical nutrients that breastmilk contains. —Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2025

The hospital also offers breastfeeding classes and childbirth education classes, and once patients are admitted, they are given preference cards to fill out, which Ewald said are a great way for the nurses to get to know their patients even more. —Arick Wierson, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Apr. 2025

In her book, Crumpler offered detailed advice to prevent such illnesses through proper hygiene and nutrition, as well as breastfeeding. —Ella Jeffries, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Mar. 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