Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
Popular Searches
Nearby Words

nipple

 - 6 dictionary results

nip⋅ple

  [nip-uhl]
Use nipple in a Sentence
–noun
1. a protuberance of the mamma or breast where, in the female, the milk ducts discharge; teat.
2. something resembling it, as the mouthpiece of a nursing bottle or pacifier.
3. a short piece of pipe with threads on each end, used for joining valves.
Origin:
1520–30; earlier neble, nib(b)le, nepil; perh. akin to nib; cf. Dan nip point; see -le

Related forms:
nip⋅ple⋅less, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To nipple
nip·ple   (nĭp'əl)   
n.  

    1. The small projection near the center of the mammary gland containing the outlets of the milk ducts through which young mammals obtain milk from the adult female; a teat.

    2. A corresponding projection of the male breast.

    3. The rubber cap on a bottle from which a baby nurses.

    4. A pacifier for an infant.

    5. A regulated opening for discharging a liquid, as in a small stopcock.

    6. A pipe coupling threaded on both ends.

    7. A short extension of pipe to which a nozzle can be attached.

    8. A small projection through which grease in a grease gun can be forced into a bearing.

    1. The rubber cap on a bottle from which a baby nurses.

    2. A pacifier for an infant.

    3. A regulated opening for discharging a liquid, as in a small stopcock.

    4. A pipe coupling threaded on both ends.

    5. A short extension of pipe to which a nozzle can be attached.

    6. A small projection through which grease in a grease gun can be forced into a bearing.

  3. Any of various devices functioning like or resembling a nipple, especially:

    1. A regulated opening for discharging a liquid, as in a small stopcock.

    2. A pipe coupling threaded on both ends.

    3. A short extension of pipe to which a nozzle can be attached.

    4. A small projection through which grease in a grease gun can be forced into a bearing.

  4. A natural or geographic projection resembling a nipple, as a mountain crest.


[From obsolete neble, diminutive of neb.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

nipple 
1538, nyppell, alt. of neble, probably dim. of O.E. neb "bill, beak, snout" (see neb), hence, lit. "a small projection."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: nip·ple
Pronunciation: 'nip-&l
Function: noun
1 : the protuberance of a mammary gland upon which in the female the lactiferousducts open and from which milk is drawn
2 a : an artificial teat through which a bottle-fed infant nurses b : a device with an orifice through which the dischargeof a liquid can be regulated
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

nipple nip·ple (nĭp'əl)
n.
The projection at the apex of the mammary gland, on the surface of which the lactiferous ducts open, surrounded by the circular pigmented areola. Also called mamilla, papilla mammae, teat, thelium.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
Computing Dictionary

nipple
Trackpoint

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © 1993-2007 Denis Howe
Cite This Source
Search another word or see nipple on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
Ask AnswersEviteExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyMy Way