teat

Meaning

Noun

• The projection of a mammary gland from which, on female mammals, milk is secreted.
• Something resembling a teat, such as a small protuberance or nozzle.
• An artificial nipple used for bottle-feeding infants.

Origin

• From Middle English tete, from Old French tete ("teat") (compare French tette), from Frankish *titta, from Proto-Germanic *titt-, ultimately of expressive origin. tit, which is inherited.
• It displaced Old English titt, which survives as tit. Compare Dutch tiet and German Zitze ("teat").