Breastfeeding

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈbɹɛstˌfidɪŋ/

Definitions

1. The act of supplying a young child with maternal milk directly from the breast emphasizes both nutritional support and emotional bonding with the caregiver
2. The process by which a mother nourishes her infant by offering milk directly from her breast
3. Providing milk to a newborn through the mother's breast as a natural source of sustenance and comfort

Etymology: "Breastfeeding" is a plain compound: "breast" joined to "feeding," the present participle of "feed." The two parts have been close companions in English for a long time, since "feed" comes from Old English "fēdan," and "breast" is an old Germanic word for the chest, which by the Old English period had already acquired its sense of the milk-producing organ. Put together, the compound describes exactly what it sounds like: feeding an infant from the breast. The word is best understood as a combination that English speakers could assemble whenever needed, rather than a term coined at a single moment. Its parts carry their meanings unchanged, so there is no dramatic shift in sense to trace. Its usefulness lies in its transparency, which makes it easy for speakers to understand without a specialist vocabulary.

Synonyms: nursing, suckling