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lactation

American  
[lak-tey-shuhn] / lækˈteɪ ʃən /

noun

  1. the secretion or formation of milk.

  2. the period of milk production.

lactation British  
/ lækˈteɪʃən /

noun

  1. the secretion of milk from the mammary glands after parturition

  2. the period during which milk is secreted

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
lactation Scientific  
/ lăk-tā′shən /

  1. The secretion or production of milk by the mammary glands in female mammals after giving birth.

Other Word Forms

  • hyperlactation noun
  • lactational adjective
  • lactationally adverb
  • overlactation noun
  • superlactation noun

Etymology

Origin of lactation

1660–70; < Late Latin lactātiōn- (stem of lactātiō ) a giving suck. See lactate 1, -ion

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“It’s often misattributed to postpartum depression,” says lactation consultant Allison Alexander.

From Slate • Mar. 15, 2026

Nurse Sandra Killen, who is also a lactation specialist, works with them.

From BBC • Jun. 3, 2025

“Women live longer, they experience different things like pregnancy and lactation, menstruation and menopause, and they have different disease risks,” said Dr. McKale Montgomery, a nutritionist at Oklahoma State University.

From Salon • Jan. 13, 2025

Additionally, policies should include expanded financial stability and mental health resources alongside telehealth lactation services.

From Science Daily • Nov. 18, 2024

I find receipts for lactation and infant-sleep consultants.

From "Everything, Everything" by Nicola Yoon

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.