mammary gland

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See synonyms for: mammary glands on Thesaurus.com

noun

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.

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Origin of mammary gland

First recorded in 1825–35

Words nearby mammary gland

mammalian, mammalogy, mammals, mammaplasty, mammary, mammary gland, mammectomy, mammee, mammer, mammet, mammiferous

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

How to use mammary gland in a sentence

At birth, mammary glands are similar in both genders—just little patches of the mammary epithelium tissue.
The Cancer Custodians - Issue 102: Hidden Truths|Lina Zeldovich|June 23, 2021|Nautilus
Using breast organoids, scientists can model the complex life of mammary glands at various stages of a woman’s life.
The Cancer Custodians - Issue 102: Hidden Truths|Lina Zeldovich|June 23, 2021|Nautilus
Dos Santos likens this pregnancy mammary gland growth to the changes of the seasons.
The Cancer Custodians - Issue 102: Hidden Truths|Lina Zeldovich|June 23, 2021|Nautilus
Before Dolly, it was widely held that once vertebrate cells had fully differentiated—becoming, say, muscle or skin or, in the case of Dolly’s “mother,” mammary gland tissue—they were permanently fixed and couldn’t become a different kind of cell.
Over Time, Buddhism and Science Agree - Issue 94: Evolving|David P. Barash|December 23, 2020|Nautilus

There is a long history of the mammary glands as comedy fodder.
Women, It's Time to Reclaim Our Breasts|Emily Shire|September 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It was the scene that launched a thousand HBO subscriptions—and one misguided, mammary-centric New Yorker think piece.
Alexandra Daddario on 'True Detective's' Misogyny Claims and Her Hollywood Ascent|Marlow Stern|September 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Others who, because of a tumor in the pituitary gland, may overproduce HGH develop a different problem: gigantism.
Is HGH, Allegedly Alex Rodriguez’s Drug of Choice, Really So Bad?|Kent Sepkowitz|August 1, 2013|DAILY BEAST
By discussing her mammary travails so openly, Jolie runs the risk of messing with the fantasy.
Angelina’s Bold Boob Move|Michelle Cottle|May 14, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Carrey sings: "You're a big, big man with a little bitty gland, so you need something bigger with a hairpin trigger."
"Hee-Haw": Jim Carrey Mocks Gun Lovers & Charlton Heston In Spoof|Anna Klassen|March 25, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The thymus gland attains a considerable development in the embryo and shrinks away to the merest vestige in the adult.
Man And His Ancestor|Charles Morris
The strong probability is that this gland belongs in the same category with other embryonic survivals yet to be pointed out.
Man And His Ancestor|Charles Morris
It is nearly always accompanied by a distinct hypertrophy of the thymus gland.
Essays In Pastoral Medicine|Austin Malley
I want a ball bat to club every country jake doctor that looks me over and asks about my pituitary gland.
David Lannarck, Midget|George S. Harney
The mucus secreted from gland cells in this lining makes a slippery surface so that the food may slip down easily.
A Civic Biology|George William Hunter

British Dictionary definitions for mammary gland

mammary gland

noun

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

[ măm′ə-rē ]

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.

mammary gland

Origin of mammary gland

Words nearby mammary gland

Words related to mammary gland

How to use mammary gland in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for mammary gland

Scientific definitions for mammary gland