Teats

/tiːts/ noun

Definition

The protruding parts on mammary glands through which milk is produced and released, found in female mammals; also refers to rubber nipples on bottles used for feeding.

Etymology

From Old French 'tete' (breast, teat), possibly related to German 'Zitze.' The word has been in English since the 1500s, used for both natural and artificial nipples.

Kelly Says

The structure of teats varies wildly across mammals—some have just four (cows), others dozens (sharks and dolphins), and some like humans develop them only during pregnancy, showing evolution's flexible approach to feeding babies.

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