What does lactiferous mean?
Lactiferous is a formal adjective meaning “producing, secreting, or carrying milk.” It is most often encountered in botany, where it describes plants with milky sap and the specialized tissues or vessels that produce and transport that sap. In anatomy, it can refer to structures involved in the production or movement of milk. The word is precise and technical rather than conversational, so descriptions of ordinary people or animals are uncommon unless they are speaking in a scientific context. Its combination of a Latin root meaning “milk” with a word meaning “to bear” gives it a useful literal image: a lactiferous structure is, in effect, a milk-bearing or milk-carrying structure.
adjectiveProducing, secreting, or carrying milk. The term is used especially in botany and anatomy to describe milk-producing structures or tissues.
- Producing or secreting milk.
- Carrying or conveying milk, especially through ducts or vessels.
"The cut surface of the stem revealed a network of lactiferous vessels."
"Milkweed contains lactiferous tissue that secretes a milky latex."
"The lactiferous vessels in the udder transport milk toward the teat."
Lactiferous means “milk-bearing,” a fitting name for the plant tissues that transport the milky sap known as latex.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Words that share this root
How lactiferous is actually used
Lactiferous is a formal technical term. In botany it commonly describes milk-producing tissues or vessels, while in anatomy it can describe structures involved in carrying milk.