nipple
|nip-ple|
/ˈnɪpəl/
small projecting teat
Etymology
'nipple' originates from Old English, specifically the word 'næppel', where the root meant 'nipple'.
'næppel' changed into Middle English forms such as 'nepel' and 'nipple', and eventually became the modern English word 'nipple'.
Initially, it meant 'a small projecting part on the breast used for suckling', and over time it retained this core meaning while extending metaphorically to similar protuberances and to small pipe fittings.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the small projecting part of the human breast through which milk is secreted; the organ a baby suckles on.
The baby latched onto the mother's nipple.
Synonyms
Noun 2
a rubber or silicone teat fitted to a baby's feeding bottle.
She replaced the bottle's nipple with a new silicone one.
Synonyms
Noun 3
a short piece of pipe or fitting with threaded ends used to connect two other fittings or lengths of pipe.
The plumber changed the corroded nipple in the water line.
Synonyms
Verb 1
to suckle at a nipple; to nurse by drawing milk from a nipple.
The foal began to nipple from its mother.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/16 20:05