Teat
/tiːt/noun
A nipple on the breast of a mammal, from which milk is secreted.
Did you know?In ancient cultures, the breast was often seen as a symbol of life and fertility, linking 'teat' to powerful maternal deities and life-giving rituals.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dai-
“to suck or draw out.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
θηλή (thēlē)
“nipple or teat.”
Old English
OE
tite
“nipple or teat.”
Middle English
ME
tete
“nipple, teat, or breast.”
Modern English
English
teat
“a term for mammalian nipples, still in use today.”