mammal
Definition
A mammal is a warm-blooded animal that has fur or hair, gives birth to live young, and nurses its young with milk. Mammals are the most diverse group of animals on Earth, and they can be found in almost every environment on the planet.
Some common mammals include cats, dogs, horses, cows, sheep, pigs, whales, dolphins, and bats. Mammals come in all shapes and sizes, from the tiny shrew to the giant elephant.
How can the word be used?
Mammals are the most diverse group of vertebrates on Earth.
Different forms of the word
Noun: A warm-blooded vertebrate animal that has hair or fur, gives birth to live young and nurses its young with milk.
Adjective: Describing something that is related to mammals. For example, you could say "mammal milk" or "mammal behaviour".
Verb: To give birth to live young. For example, you could say "The mammal gave birth to a litter of pups.".
Etymology
The word "mammal" comes from the Latin word "mamma", which means "breast". This is a reference to the fact that mammals are the only vertebrates that nurse their young with milk.
The word "mammal" was first used in English in the 16th century. It was originally used to describe animals that were similar to humans, but it soon came to be used in a more general sense to describe any animal that gave birth to live young and nursed its young with milk.
Question
What do mammals have in common?