colostrum

[ kuh-los-truhm ]

/ kəˈlɒs trəm /

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noun

a yellowish liquid, especially rich in immune factors, secreted by the mammary gland of female mammals a few days before and after the birth of their young.

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Also called foremilk .

Origin of colostrum

First recorded in 1570–80, colostrum is from the Latin word colostrum, colustrum “beestings,” colloquial for “first milk”

OTHER WORDS FROM colostrum

co·los·tral, adjective

Words nearby colostrum

Colossians, colossus, Colossus of Memnon, Colossus of Rhodes, colostomy, colostrum, colotomy, colour, colourable, colour bar, colour-blind

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use colostrum in a sentence

For the first few days after giving birth, mothers produce colostrum, a thick, yellow, concentrated milk packed with compounds like the antibody IgA and lactoferrin, an abundant protein that boosts a baby’s immunity.
Startups are racing to reproduce breast milk in the lab|Katie McLean|December 18, 2020|MIT Technology Review
By nursing the colostrum out of the breasts, it will favor and hasten the secretion of milk.
The Eugenic Marriage, Volume I. (of IV.)|W. Grant Hague, M.D.
Examined with the microscope, it is found to contain colostrum.
A System of Practical Medicine By American Authors, Vol. II|Various
The first product of the mammæ is not the proper milk secretion, but is a yellowish fluid called colostrum .
Plain Facts for Old and Young|John Harvey Kellogg

After the calf is a few days old, colostrum changes to what is commonly known as milk.
Agriculture for Beginners|Charles William Burkett
Colostrum, ko-los′trum, n. the first milk of a mammal after parturition.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D)|Various

British Dictionary definitions for colostrum

colostrum

/ (kəˈlɒstrəm) /

noun

the thin milky secretion from the nipples that precedes and follows true lactation. It consists largely of serum and white blood cells

Derived forms of colostrum

colostral, adjective

Word Origin for colostrum

C16: from Latin, of obscure origin

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