lactiferous

[ lak-tif-er-uhs ]

adjective

1. producing or secreting milk:

   lactiferous glands.

2. conveying milk or a milky fluid:

   lactiferous ducts.

lactiferous

/ lækˈtɪfərəs /

adjective

1. producing, conveying, or secreting milk or a milky fluid

   lactiferous ducts

2. botany containing latex; laticiferous

Derived Forms

• lacˈtiferousness, noun

Other Words From

• lac·tifer·ous·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of lactiferous¹

1665–75; < New Latin lactifer that bears milk ( lacti-, -fer ) + -ous

Word History and Origins

Origin of lactiferous¹

C17: from Latin lactifer, from lact-, lac milk

Example Sentences

After puberty breasts develop with their lactiferous glands and nipples for suction.

From Project Gutenberg

The increase of blood produced by the maternal organism, by its adaptation to the nutrition of the embryo, is then employed in the production of milk in the breasts or lactiferous glands, which were already well developed during pregnancy.

From Project Gutenberg

Man possesses the rudiments of the correlative sexual characters of woman, such as nipples without lactiferous glands, etc.

From Project Gutenberg

Microscopically, chicory shows numerous thin-walled parenchymatous cells, lactiferous vessels, and sieve tubes with transverse plates.

From Project Gutenberg

The females of lactiferous animals have thus a passion or inlet of pleasure in their systems more than the males, from their power of giving suck to their offspring; the want of the object of this passion, either owing to the death of the progeny, or to the unnatural fashion of their situation in life, not only deprives them of this innocent and virtuous source of pleasure; but has occasioned diseases, which have been fatal to many of them.

From Project Gutenberg