mammals

mam-mals · noun

imported

Definitions

noun

  1. 1.

    Plural of *mammal*. Warm-blooded vertebrate animals that have hair or fur, produce milk to feed their young, and typically give birth to live young.

Phrases & expressions

  • •
    marine mammals — mammals that live primarily in the ocean (whales, dolphins, seals)
  • •
    land mammals — mammals that live primarily on land

Related words

See also: animal, mammal, species, vertebrate

Etymology

From Modern Latin Mammalia, from Latin mamma ("breast"), referring to the milk-producing mammary glands characteristic of this class of animals. The term was coined by Carl Linnaeus in 1758.