mammal

[ mam-uhl ]

noun

1. any vertebrate of the class Mammalia, having the body more or less covered with hair, nourishing the young with milk from the mammary glands, and, with the exception of the egg-laying monotremes, giving birth to live young.

mammal

/ ˈmæməl; mæˈmeɪlɪən /

noun

1. any animal of the Mammalia, a large class of warm-blooded vertebrates having mammary glands in the female, a thoracic diaphragm, and a four-chambered heart. The class includes the whales, carnivores, rodents, bats, primates, etc

mammal

/ măm′əl /

1. Any of various warm-blooded vertebrate animals of the class Mammalia, whose young feed on milk that is produced by the mother's mammary glands. Unlike other vertebrates, mammals have a diaphragm that separates the heart and lungs from the other internal organs, red blood cells that lack a nucleus, and usually hair or fur. All mammals but the monotremes bear live young. Mammals include rodents, cats, dogs, ungulates, cetaceans, and apes.

Derived Forms

• ˈmammal-ˌlike, adjective
• mammalian, adjectivenoun

Other Words From

• mammal·like adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of mammal¹

First recorded in 1820–30; as singular of New Latin Mammalia, neuter plural of Late Latin mammālis “of the breast”; equivalent to mamma ² + -al ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of mammal¹

C19: via New Latin from Latin mamma breast

Example Sentences

Dr Shpak did not want to name her sources in Russia for their own safety but said she had been told that when the beluga surfaced in Norway, the Russian marine mammal community immediately identified it as one of theirs.

From BBC

This year, biologists collected samples from nine sites in California, swabbing the diminutive animals’ noses and forearms, said Katrina Smith, statewide coordinator for small mammal conservation for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

From Los Angeles Times

Just as you wouldn't go to a restaurant and order a "mammal sandwich," why settle for "fish and chips?"

From Salon

The much-loved mammal is losing its natural habitat due to the expansion of farming and land development.

From BBC

And without hulking dinosaurs to plow down vegetation and keep forests relatively open, plants grew dense into multitiered habitats that acted as the crucible of mammal evolution.

From Slate

Related Words

• beast
• creature
• vertebrate