mammal

IPA/ˈmæml/
KK[mˈæməl]IPA/ˈmæml/

mammal — noun

  • mammalsingular
  • mammalsplural

1. a warm-blooded animal that feeds its babies with milk from its mother's body. Ma

1.nounB1
Definition

a warm-blooded animal that feeds its babies with milk from its mother's body. Mammals have hair or fur, and most are born from their mother's body rather than from eggs.

Example

Walid learned in biology class that whales are mammals, not fish.

classification: X is a mammal, not Y

Hui explained to her little brother that a blue whale is the largest mammal on Earth.

superlative: the largest mammal on Earth

Common collocations
  • marine mammal
  • mammal species
  • land mammal
  • mammal population
  • extinct mammal
Synonyms
  • animal

    much broader category; includes reptiles, birds, fish, and insects

  • creature

    even broader; can refer to any living being real or imaginary

  • vertebrate

    a different biological group that includes fish, birds, and reptiles too

Grammar Patterns

mammal + verb (singular/plural agreement)

Usage Note

Use 'mammals' (plural) when talking about the group as a whole. The singular 'mammal' is used for one specific animal or when describing characteristics of the class.

Common Mistakes

Dolphins are a type of fish.
Dolphins are mammals that live in the ocean.
Dolphins have lungs, give live birth, and feed milk to their young, so they belong to the mammal class, not fish.

Word family

  • mammalian
    adjectiveB2
  • mammary
    adjectiveC1
  • mammalogy
    nounC2
  • mammal-like
    adjectiveC1

Common collocations

Nouns

  • marine mammal
  • mammal species
  • land mammal
  • mammal population

Etymology

LatinEnglish

From Latin 'mammalis' meaning 'of the breast', which comes from 'mamma' meaning 'breast' or 'teat'. The word was first used in English around the early 1800s as scientists began classifying animals by how they feed their young.