Added 9 October 2026
mammal
/ˈmæməl/ noun
In Latin: mammalis, mammalia Coined: 1758 Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about mammal at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- A vertebrate animal of the class Mammalia, characterized by being warm-blooded, having fur or hair and producing milk with which to feed their young.
- A vertebrate with three bones in the inner ear and one in the jaw.
Origin
Borrowed from Latin mammal, coined 1758 by Linnaeus for the class of mammals, from Late Latin mammalis (“of the breast”), from Latin mamma (“breast”), perhaps cognate with mamma (mother).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)