colostrum

[kuh-los-truh m]

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.

Origin of colostrum

First recorded in 1570–80, colostrum is from the Latin word colostrum, colustrum beestings

Also called foremilk.

Related formsco·los·tral, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for colostrum

Historical Examples of colostrum

Colostrum is rich in the very food that the baby calf needs.
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
After the calf is a few days old, colostrum changes to what is commonly known as milk.
Agriculture for Beginners
Charles William Burkett
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.

British Dictionary definitions for colostrum

colostrum

noun

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

Derived Formscolostral, 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

Word Origin and History for colostrum

1570s, from Latin colostrum "first milk from an animal," of unknown origin.

colostrum in Medicine

colostrum

[kə-lŏs′trəm]

n.

The first milk secreted at the time of parturition, differing from the milk secreted later by containing more lactalbumin and lactoprotein, and also being rich in antibodies that confer passive immunity to the newborn.foremilk

Related formsco•los′tral (-trəl) adj.