Standard Lemma guide

nipple

noun · verb · 14 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈnɪp.əl/
  • [ˈnɪph.əl] ~ [ˈnɪph.l̩]
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɪpəl
  • CMU ARPABET: N IH1 P AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The projection of a mammary gland from which, on female therian mammals, milk is secreted.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: anatomy, medicine, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: tit, nipples, blinkers, braille, bullets, bumps, chichis, circuit breakers, cookies, daggers, diamond cutters, dinner plates, glass cutters, high beams, headlights, horns, nertz, nips, nubbins, pancakes, paps, pimentos, pointers, points, raisins, silver dollars, teats, tits, thermometers

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The nipple (noun sense 1) and the areola together.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A mechanical device through which liquids or gases can be passed in a regulated manner.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

An artificial nipple (noun sense 1) used for bottle-feeding infants.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: teat

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

Any small physical protrusion, such as the lumps on the F and J keys on computer keyboards.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

Any small physical protrusion on an automotive, a machine part or any other part that fits into a groove on another part.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

A perforated segment that fits into part of the breech of a muzzle-loading gun, on which the percussion cap is fixed.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: historical

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

A short tube threaded at both ends, used as a connector.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: US

Topics: business, construction, manufacturing, plumbing

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

noun

Meaning 9

An internally threaded piece which holds a bicycle spoke in place on the rim.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: cycling, hobbies, lifestyle, sports

Examples

  • Turn the nipples on to the bicycle spokes only one turn, for each spoke on the new wheel all the way around until they are all snug, then check alignment.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

noun

Meaning 10

A pointing stick.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: humorous

Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

verb

Meaning 11

To fit (a baby's bottle, etc.) with a nipple.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

12

verb

Meaning 12

To give one's nipple to (a baby) to allow breastfeeding.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

13

noun

Meaning 13

a flexible cap on a baby's feeding bottle or pacifier

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: cap

14

noun

Meaning 14

the small projection of a mammary gland

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: mammilla, mamilla, pap, teat, tit

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: reproductive organ, sex organ

History

Etymology

From earlier neple, nypil, neble, believed to be a diminutive of nib, neb (“tip, point”), equivalent to nib + -le. Compare Old English nypel (“elephant trunk”), formed analogously as "a protuberance from one's neb" .

Across languages

Translations

237 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: tepel — projection of mammary gland
  • Afrikaans: nippel — projection of mammary gland
  • Dupaningan Agta: pugang — projection of mammary gland
  • Albanian: thithkë — projection of mammary gland
  • Antillean Creole: boutatété — projection of mammary gland
  • Arabic: حَلَمَة (ḥalama) — projection of mammary gland
  • Armenian: պտուկ (ptuk) — projection of mammary gland
  • Armenian: կրծքապտուկ (krckʻaptuk) — projection of mammary gland
  • Aromanian: gurgulj — projection of mammary gland
  • Asturian: pezón — projection of mammary gland
  • Azerbaijani: məmə — projection of mammary gland
  • Azerbaijani: əmzik — projection of mammary gland
  • Azerbaijani: əmcək — projection of mammary gland
  • Basque: titiburo — projection of mammary gland
  • Basque: erro — projection of mammary gland
  • Belarusian: сасо́к (sasók) — projection of mammary gland
  • Bengali: স্তনবৃন্ত (stonbrinto) — projection of mammary gland
  • Breton: beg ar vronn — projection of mammary gland
  • Bulgarian: зъ́рно (zǎ́rno) — projection of mammary gland
  • Bulgarian: зърно́ (zǎrnó) — projection of mammary gland
  • Burmese: နို့သီးခေါင်း (nui.si:hkaung:) — projection of mammary gland
  • Burmese: နို့သီး (nui.si:) — projection of mammary gland
  • Catalan: mugró — projection of mammary gland
  • Cebuano: atngal — projection of mammary gland
  • Chinese Cantonese: 𢆡頭 /𢆡头 (nin1 tau4) — projection of mammary gland
  • Chinese Cantonese: 乳頭 /乳头 (jyu5 tau4) — projection of mammary gland
  • Chinese: 奶頭 /奶头 (zh-min-nan) — projection of mammary gland
  • Chinese Mandarin: 乳頭 /乳头 (rǔtóu) — projection of mammary gland
  • Chinese Mandarin: 奶頭 /奶头 (nǎitóu) — projection of mammary gland
  • Coptic: ⲭⲉⲗⲙⲓ (khelmi) — projection of mammary gland
  • Coptic: ϭⲓ (či) — projection of mammary gland
  • Crimean Tatar: emşek — projection of mammary gland
  • Czech: bradavka — projection of mammary gland
  • Czech: prsní bradavka — projection of mammary gland
  • Danish: brystvorte — projection of mammary gland
  • Dutch: tepel — projection of mammary gland
  • Erzya: потепря (potepŕa) — projection of mammary gland
  • Esperanto: cico — projection of mammary gland
  • Esperanto: mampinto — projection of mammary gland
  • Estonian: nibu — projection of mammary gland
  • Faroese: vørta — projection of mammary gland
  • Faroese: bróstvørta — projection of mammary gland
  • Finnish: nänni — projection of mammary gland
  • French: mamelon — projection of mammary gland
  • French: téton — projection of mammary gland
  • French: tétin — projection of mammary gland
  • Galician: teto — projection of mammary gland
  • Galician: mamila — projection of mammary gland
  • Galician: bico de teta — projection of mammary gland
  • Galician: bico do peito — projection of mammary gland
  • Gallurese: capitùgnulu — projection of mammary gland
  • Georgian: დვრილი (dvrili) — projection of mammary gland
  • Georgian: კერტი (ḳerṭi) — projection of mammary gland
  • Georgian: ძუძუსთავი (ʒuʒustavi) — projection of mammary gland
  • Georgian: ძუძუს თავი (ʒuʒus tavi) — projection of mammary gland
  • German: Nippel — projection of mammary gland
  • German: Brustwarze — projection of mammary gland
  • Greek: ρώγα (róga) — projection of mammary gland
  • Greek: θηλή (thilí) — projection of mammary gland
  • Ancient Greek: θηλή (thēlḗ) — projection of mammary gland
  • Hawaiian: maka waiū — projection of mammary gland
  • Hawaiian: maka — projection of mammary gland
  • Hebrew: פִּטְמָה (pitma) — projection of mammary gland
  • Hindi: चुचुक (cucuk) — projection of mammary gland
  • Hindi: स्तनाग्र (stanāgra) — projection of mammary gland
  • Hindi: कुचाग्र (kucāgra) — projection of mammary gland
  • Hindi: भिटनी (bhiṭnī) — projection of mammary gland
  • Hungarian: mellbimbó — projection of mammary gland
  • Hungarian: csecs — projection of mammary gland
  • Icelandic: brjóstvarta — projection of mammary gland
  • Icelandic: geirvarta — projection of mammary gland
  • Ido: mamilo — projection of mammary gland
  • Indonesian: pentil — projection of mammary gland
  • Indonesian: puting susu — projection of mammary gland
  • Ingrian: nännänpää — projection of mammary gland
  • Interlingua: papilla — projection of mammary gland
  • Irish: sine — projection of mammary gland
  • Irish: dide — projection of mammary gland
  • Italian: capezzolo — projection of mammary gland
  • Japanese: 乳首 — projection of mammary gland
  • Japanese: 乳頭 (nyūtō) — projection of mammary gland
  • Japanese: ニップル (nippuru) — projection of mammary gland
  • Kazakh: емшек (emşek) — projection of mammary gland
  • Khmer: បណ្ឌិកា (pandikaa) — projection of mammary gland
  • Khmer: ក្បាលដោះ (kbaal dɑh) — projection of mammary gland
  • Korean: 젖꼭지 (jeotkkokji) — projection of mammary gland
  • Korean: 유두 (yudu) — projection of mammary gland
  • Korean: 젖 (jeot) — projection of mammary gland
  • Northern Kurdish: sermemik — projection of mammary gland
  • Northern Kurdish: serçiçik — projection of mammary gland
  • Kyrgyz: эмчек (emcek) — projection of mammary gland
  • Lao: ຫົວນົມ (hūa nom) — projection of mammary gland
  • Latin: papilla — projection of mammary gland
  • Latvian: krūts zirnītis — projection of mammary gland
  • Lithuanian: spenẽlis — projection of mammary gland
  • Lithuanian: spenys — projection of mammary gland
  • Macedonian: брада́вица (bradávica) — projection of mammary gland
  • Macedonian: пу́пка (púpka) — projection of mammary gland
  • Malay: puting — projection of mammary gland
  • Maltese: beżżula — projection of mammary gland
  • Manchu: ᡨᡠ᠋ᠮᡳᡥᠠ (tumiha) — projection of mammary gland
  • Māori: kōmata — projection of mammary gland
  • Mongolian: хөхний товч (xöxnii tovč) — projection of mammary gland
  • Mongolian: хөхний толгой (xöxnii tolgoj) — projection of mammary gland
  • Norwegian Bokmål: brystvorte — projection of mammary gland
  • Norwegian Bokmål: patte — projection of mammary gland
  • Norwegian Bokmål: nippel — projection of mammary gland
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: brystvorte — projection of mammary gland
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: patte — projection of mammary gland
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: nippel — projection of mammary gland
  • Occitan: teta — projection of mammary gland
  • Old English: delu — projection of mammary gland
  • Pashto: مېمی (memáy) — projection of mammary gland
  • Persian: نوک پستان (nok-e pestân) — projection of mammary gland
  • Persian: سرپستان (sar-pestân) — projection of mammary gland
  • Persian: حلمه (halame) — projection of mammary gland
  • Persian: داره (dâre) — projection of mammary gland
  • Pitjantjatjara: ipi kaḻka — projection of mammary gland
  • Pitjantjatjara: ipi mulya — projection of mammary gland
  • Polish: sutek — projection of mammary gland
  • Polish: brodawka sutkowa — projection of mammary gland
  • Portuguese: mamilo — projection of mammary gland
  • Romagnol: cavdël — projection of mammary gland
  • Romanian: sfârc — projection of mammary gland
  • Romanian: gurgui — projection of mammary gland
  • Romanian: țâță — projection of mammary gland
  • Romanian: mamelon — projection of mammary gland
  • Romansh: chavadè — projection of mammary gland
  • Romansh: cavadi — projection of mammary gland
  • Romansh: tgavadi — projection of mammary gland
  • Romansh: tgavadel — projection of mammary gland
  • Romansh: chavdè — projection of mammary gland
  • Romansh: mamilla — projection of mammary gland
  • Russian: сосо́к (sosók) — projection of mammary gland
  • Russian: со́ска (sóska) — projection of mammary gland
  • Samoan: matā — projection of mammary gland
  • Campidanese Sardinian: cimingioni — projection of mammary gland
  • Campidanese Sardinian: semingioni — projection of mammary gland
  • Sassarese: cabigiu — projection of mammary gland
  • Scottish Gaelic: sine — projection of mammary gland
  • Scottish Gaelic: ceann-na-cìche — projection of mammary gland
  • Serbo-Croatian: сисак — projection of mammary gland
  • Serbo-Croatian: брадавица — projection of mammary gland
  • Serbo-Croatian: sisak — projection of mammary gland
  • Serbo-Croatian: bradavica — projection of mammary gland
  • Sicilian: capicchiu — projection of mammary gland
  • Sicilian: capicchia — projection of mammary gland
  • Slovak: prsná bradavka — projection of mammary gland
  • Slovak: bradavka — projection of mammary gland
  • Slovene: prsna bradavica — projection of mammary gland
  • Spanish: pezón — projection of mammary gland
  • Spanish: tetilla — projection of mammary gland
  • Sranan Tongo: bobimofo — projection of mammary gland
  • Swahili: chuchu — projection of mammary gland
  • Swedish: bröstvårta — projection of mammary gland
  • Swedish: nippel — projection of mammary gland
  • Swedish: spene — projection of mammary gland
  • Tagalog: utong — projection of mammary gland
  • Tajik: нӯги пистон (nüg-i piston) — projection of mammary gland
  • Tajik: дора (dora) — projection of mammary gland
  • Tamil: காம்பு (kāmpu) — projection of mammary gland
  • Tamil: முலைக்காம்பு (mulaikkāmpu) — projection of mammary gland
  • Tamil: ஒஞ்சி (oñci) — projection of mammary gland
  • Tatar: имчәк (imçäk) — projection of mammary gland
  • Telugu: చనుముక్కు (canumukku) — projection of mammary gland
  • Thai: หัวนม (hǔua-nom) — projection of mammary gland
  • Tibetan: ནུ་རྡོག (nu rdog) — projection of mammary gland
  • Tongan: matā — projection of mammary gland
  • Turkish: meme başı — projection of mammary gland
  • Turkish: meme ucu — projection of mammary gland
  • Turkish: göğüs ucu şişe emziği — projection of mammary gland
  • Turkish: emzik — projection of mammary gland
  • Ottoman Turkish: امجیك (emcik) — projection of mammary gland
  • Turkmen: emjek — projection of mammary gland
  • Ukrainian: сосо́к (sosók) — projection of mammary gland
  • Urdu: چوچی (cūcī) — projection of mammary gland
  • Uyghur: ئەمچەك (emchek) — projection of mammary gland
  • Uzbek: emchak — projection of mammary gland
  • Vietnamese: núm vú — projection of mammary gland
  • Volapük: blötatät — projection of mammary gland
  • Walloon: mamuron — projection of mammary gland
  • Walloon: teton — projection of mammary gland
  • Wolof: cus — projection of mammary gland
  • Yiddish: אָפּל (opl) — projection of mammary gland
  • Dutch: nippel — device through which liquids or gases can be passed in a regulated manner
  • Finnish: nippa — device through which liquids or gases can be passed in a regulated manner
  • Hungarian: cumi — device through which liquids or gases can be passed in a regulated manner
  • Hungarian: cucli — device through which liquids or gases can be passed in a regulated manner
  • Portuguese: bico — device through which liquids or gases can be passed in a regulated manner
  • Bulgarian: биберо́н (biberón) — artificial nipple for bottle feeding
  • Catalan: tetina — artificial nipple for bottle feeding
  • Chinese Mandarin: 奶嘴 (nǎizuǐ) — artificial nipple for bottle feeding
  • Dutch: speen — artificial nipple for bottle feeding
  • Erzya: потебря (potebŕa) — artificial nipple for bottle feeding
  • Esperanto: cicumo — artificial nipple for bottle feeding
  • Finnish: tutti — artificial nipple for bottle feeding
  • French: tétine — artificial nipple for bottle feeding
  • Greek: θηλή (thilí) — artificial nipple for bottle feeding
  • Hindi: चुचुक (cucuk) — artificial nipple for bottle feeding
  • Ido: vicemamilo — artificial nipple for bottle feeding
  • Italian: tettarella — artificial nipple for bottle feeding
  • Malay: dot — artificial nipple for bottle feeding
  • Māori: titi — artificial nipple for bottle feeding
  • Portuguese: bico — artificial nipple for bottle feeding
  • Portuguese: bico de mamadeira — artificial nipple for bottle feeding
  • Romanian: biberon — artificial nipple for bottle feeding
  • Romanian: tetină — artificial nipple for bottle feeding
  • Russian: со́ска (sóska) — artificial nipple for bottle feeding
  • Sicilian: minnuzza — artificial nipple for bottle feeding
  • Spanish: tete — artificial nipple for bottle feeding
  • Spanish: tetina — artificial nipple for bottle feeding
  • Spanish: tetilla — artificial nipple for bottle feeding
  • Spanish: mamadera — artificial nipple for bottle feeding
  • Swedish: napp — artificial nipple for bottle feeding
  • Swedish: dinapp — artificial nipple for bottle feeding
  • Dutch: nippel — small protrusion on machinery that fits into a groove
  • Finnish: nippa — small protrusion on machinery that fits into a groove
  • German: Nippel — small protrusion on machinery that fits into a groove
  • Bulgarian: ни́пел (nípel) — short threaded connecting tube
  • Dutch: nippel — short threaded connecting tube
  • Finnish: liitin — short threaded connecting tube
  • Finnish: nippa — short threaded connecting tube
  • French: mamelon — short threaded connecting tube
  • German: Stutzen — short threaded connecting tube
  • German: Verbindungsstück — short threaded connecting tube
  • German: Nippel — short threaded connecting tube
  • Portuguese: niple — short threaded connecting tube
  • Portuguese: nípel — short threaded connecting tube
  • Russian: ни́ппель (níppelʹ) — short threaded connecting tube
  • Dutch: nippel — piece to connect a bicycle spoke to the rim
  • Finnish: nippa — piece to connect a bicycle spoke to the rim
  • German: Speichennippel — piece to connect a bicycle spoke to the rim
  • German: Nippel — piece to connect a bicycle spoke to the rim
  • Portuguese: niple — piece to connect a bicycle spoke to the rim
  • Portuguese: cabeça — piece to connect a bicycle spoke to the rim
  • Finnish: nänni — pointing stick — see also pointing stick
  • Polish: łechtaczka — pointing stick — see also pointing stick