adjective
mammary
MAM-uh-ree/ˈmæməri/
Relating to the glands that produce milk.
Mammary glands produce the milk that feeds a mother's young.
Etymology
The pieces express “relating to the breast.” In the selected sense, that relationship is specifically to the glands that produce milk for nursing young.
In context
Your kitty's desire to do this goes back to his nursing days. It fostered better milk yield by putting his paws on his mother's mammary glands.
More examples
- Hormones stimulate mammary tissue to grow during pregnancy.
- The veterinarian checks the dog's mammary glands for swelling.
- Mammary ducts carry milk toward the nipple.
Forms
mammary
Similar words
- breast
- Refers to the breast generally, not specifically its milk-producing glands.