verb

lactating

lak-TAY-ting

Lactating (verb) means producing milk in the mammary glands, as a woman does after giving birth or a female mammal does while feeding young. Example: “Lactating mothers need roughly 500 extra calories a day.”

verb

Producing milk in the mammary glands, as a woman does after giving birth or a female mammal does while feeding young.

"Lactating mothers need roughly 500 extra calories a day."

"She was still lactating six weeks after weaning."

adjective

Describing a woman or female animal currently producing milk.

"The trial excluded pregnant and lactating women."

"A lactating cow needs a great deal of fresh water."

How to Use Lactating

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishMaking breast milk.

When to use it

Clinical and neutral; in everyday speech people say breastfeeding or nursing.

Memory tip

The noun is lactation and the verb is lactate; the stress falls on the second syllable in both the verb and lactating.

Trace the full origin ↓

Easily confused with

lactating vs breastfeeding lactating vs lactose

Common pairings

lactating mothers pregnant or lactating lactating women should avoid

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

_____ mothers need roughly 500 extra calories a day.

Etymology

From Latin lactare 'to suckle, produce milk', from lac, lactis 'milk', the root behind lactose and lactic.

Origin: Latin

Rhymes for lactating

mating rating eating dating hating heating grating stating beating coating skating seating

See all rhymes for lactating →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between lactating and breastfeeding?

Lactating is the body producing milk; breastfeeding is the act of feeding a baby at the breast. Someone can lactate without breastfeeding, for example while exclusively pumping, and lactation can continue for a while after breastfeeding stops.

Can you lactate without being pregnant?

Yes. Induced lactation can be established with stimulation and sometimes medication, for instance by adoptive parents. Unexplained milk production outside pregnancy, called galactorrhoea, can also signal a hormonal problem and is worth having checked.

How long does lactation last?

It continues as long as milk is regularly removed, since supply responds to demand. Once feeding or pumping stops, production usually tails off over days to weeks, though small amounts can persist for months.