mammal

noun
mam·​mal | \ ˈma-məl How to pronounce mammal (audio) \

Definition of mammal

: any of a class (Mammalia) of warm-blooded higher vertebrates (such as placentals, marsupials, or monotremes) that nourish their young with milk secreted by mammary glands, have the skin usually more or less covered with hair, and include humans

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Other Words from mammal

mammalian \ mə-​ˈmā-​lē-​ən How to pronounce mammalian (audio) , ma-​ \ adjective or noun
mammal-like \ ˈma-​məl-​ˌlīk How to pronounce mammal-like (audio) \ or less commonly mammallike adjective
mammal-like behavior mammallike reptiles

Examples of mammal in a Sentence

Human beings, dogs, and cats are all mammals.

Recent Examples on the Web

But the genetic analysis also revealed 18 additional fishes, mammals and birds that the visual surveys missed even though the animals are known to live there. Rodrigo Pérez Ortega, The Mercury News, "Monterey Bay: Following the DNA trail in the Pacific Ocean," 11 Aug. 2019 This is because there are an abundance of infected mammal-biting mosquitoes, and environmental conditions are optimal for mosquito breeding. Maria Lovato, BostonGlobe.com, "22 communities at high risk from mosquito-borne virus; Mass. to spray insecticide," 6 Aug. 2019 The island has long been disconnected from other landmasses, so no large mammals were able to reach it. Jenny Howard, National Geographic, "This toddler-size parrot was a prehistoric oddity," 6 Aug. 2019 Coyotes, cougars and gray wolves were better able to adapt their diets by hunting small mammals or scavenge from carcasses when large prey disappeared. Ashley Strickland, CNN, "Fossils in La Brea Tar Pits reveal why coyotes still exist, but not saber-toothed cats," 5 Aug. 2019 All of the work, mechanical and mammal, was taking place far from Colorado’s agriculture heartlands on the Eastern Plains and Western Slope. Joe Rubino, The Denver Post, "Denver urban farming trend grows from a Sloan’s Lake condo tower to a Larimer Square parking garage," 4 Aug. 2019 Interpretive signs line the sides of the trail and showcase things like the preserve’s mammals and birds as well as the wetland ecosystem and invasive species. Peter Marteka, courant.com, "Swallowed up by the natural world near the bustling UConn campus," 26 July 2019 Oregon Bend: Scientists say a fossilized jawbone misidentified for 50 years turns out to belong to a bone-crushing mammal and is the first to be found in the Northwest. USA TODAY, "Glowing rock fight, Statehouse stash, hometown hero: News from around our 50 states," 15 July 2019 See thousands of non-venomous snakes, lizards, amphibians, spiders, small mammals and more. Luann Gibbs, Cincinnati.com, "Things to do this week in Cincinnati: July 15-21," 14 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'mammal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of mammal

1813, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for mammal

from base of New Latin Mammalia (Linnaeus), class name, noun derivative from neuter plural of mammālis, from Latin mamma "breast, udder" + -ālis -al entry 1 — more at mamma

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More Definitions for mammal

mammal

noun

English Language Learners Definition of mammal

: a type of animal that feeds milk to its young and that usually has hair or fur covering most of its skin

mammal

noun
mam·​mal | \ ˈma-məl How to pronounce mammal (audio) \

Kids Definition of mammal

: a warm-blooded animal (as a dog, mouse, bear, whale, or human being) with a backbone that feeds its young with milk produced by the mother and has skin usually more or less covered with hair

mammal

noun
mam·​mal | \ ˈmam-əl How to pronounce mammal (audio) \

Medical Definition of mammal

: any of the higher vertebrate animals comprising the class Mammalia

Other Words from mammal

mammalian \ mə-​ˈmā-​lē-​ən, ma-​ How to pronounce mammalian (audio) \ adjective or noun

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