mammary gland

See synonyms for: mammary glandmammary glands on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. any of the compound accessory reproductive organs of female mammals that occur in pairs on the chest or ventral surface and contain milk-producing lobes with ducts that empty into an external nipple, becoming functional when young are born and secreting milk for the duration of suckling.

Origin of mammary gland

1
First recorded in 1825–35

Words Nearby mammary gland

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How to use mammary gland in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for mammary gland

mammary gland

noun
  1. any of the milk-producing glands in mammals. In higher mammals each gland consists of a network of tubes and cavities connected to the exterior by a nipple

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

Scientific definitions for mammary gland

mammary gland

[ mămə-rē ]


  1. One of the glands in female mammals that produces milk. It is present but undeveloped in the male. In most animals, the gland opens onto the surface by means of a nipple or teat. Mammary glands number from 2 to 20, depending on the species.

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