What does "nipple" mean?
The projection of a mammary gland from which, on female therian mammals, milk is secreted.
Nipple
/ˈnɪ.p(ə)l/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The projection of a mammary gland from which, on female therian mammals, milk is secreted.
- Grammar: nipple is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: teat, adjutage, bag, boob.
- Useful contrasts: flatten, level, starve.
- Usage evidence: I have a discharge from my nipple.
How to use "nipple"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "nipple" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "nipple" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "nipple" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "nipple" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "nipple" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "teat" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "nipple", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The projection of a mammary gland from which, on female therian mammals, milk is secreted.
"Mary felt annoyed at the girl; just because bras had become passé, did a girl with so pronounced a bosom have to cater to fashion? In this case practicality dictated a bra, and Mary stood at the desk feeling herself flushing with disapproval. And artificial nipple-dilation; it was just too much."
- 2 a flexible cap on a baby's feeding bottle or pacifier wordnet
- 3 The nipple (definition 1) and the areola together.
"Joan Trieste wore skin-tight dark pants and slippers and a cotton man’s-style shirt; as far as he could tell, she had on no bra, as fashion dictated, but her nipples were merely flat dark circles beneath the white cotton fabric of her shirt: she could not afford or did not care to have the currently-popular dilation operation."
- 4 the small projection of a mammary gland wordnet
- 5 A mechanical device through which liquids or gases can be passed in a regulated manner.
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 An artificial nipple (definition 1) used for bottle-feeding infants.
- 7 Any small physical protrusion, such as the lumps on the F and J keys on computer keyboards.
- 8 Any small physical protrusion on an automotive, a machine part or any other part that fits into a groove on another part.
- 9 A perforated segment that fits into part of the breech of a muzzle-loading gun, on which the percussion cap is fixed. historical
"I could tell he didn't agree but he went to the corner and took up his squirrel gun, feeling the nipple for a percussion cap."
- 10 A short tube threaded at both ends, used as a connector. US
- 11 An internally threaded piece which holds a bicycle spoke in place on the rim.
"Turn the nipples on to the bicycle spokes only one turn, for each spoke on the new wheel all the way around until they are all snug, then check alignment."
- 12 A pointing stick. humorous
Verb
- 1 To fit (a baby's bottle, etc.) with a nipple. transitive
- 2 To give one's nipple to (a baby) to allow breastfeeding. transitive
Example
"I have a discharge from my nipple."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "nipple"?
Common synonyms include: teat, adjutage, bag, boob, boobs, booby.
How do you use "nipple" in a sentence?
I have a discharge from my nipple.
How do you pronounce "nipple"?
Pronounced /ˈnɪ.p(ə)l/.
Etymology
From earlier neple, nypil, neble, believed to be a diminutive of nib, neb (“tip, point”), equivalent to nib + -le. Compare Old English nypel (“elephant trunk”), formed analogously as "a protuberance from one's neb" .