udder

noun

ud·​der ˈə-dər How to pronounce udder (audio)
1
: a large pendulous organ consisting of two or more mammary glands enclosed in a common envelope and each provided with a single nipple see cow illustration
2

Examples of udder in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Unlike forest fires, when flames can envelop animals, the fire in Texas burned quickly across grassland, meaning many of the initial injuries were burns on the legs and bellies of cattle and horses, and sometimes on cows’ udders. Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs Desiree Rios, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2024 Gabriel Soto addresses animal agriculture with a painting of a cow whose udders leak an endless stream of milk. Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 1 Mar. 2024 While giving a tour of the farm hours before caroling, Mr. Vinson described the precautions taken at Churchtown Dairy, including regular testing and treating the cows’ udders with an iodine solution. Arielle Gordon Alexandra Genova, New York Times, 19 Dec. 2023 Typically consumed in the early morning, this frothy blend of coffee, chocolate and sugarcane distillate is topped off with a few squirts of milk fresh from the cow’s udder, with local venue Pajaretes Contreras serving as a top spot for sampling the drink. Jared Ranahan, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023 In any event, my penchant for ordering the most disgusting thing on the menu led me to an inedible monstrosity, a cow’s udder filled with sirop, a reduction of pears and apples with the viscosity of hot tar. Lucy Sante, The New Yorker, 11 Nov. 2023 Dairy producers can decrease the risk of contamination by cleaning machinery and tanks, cleaning animals’ udders, and storing milk at low temperatures. Claire Bugos, Verywell Health, 20 July 2023 Unlike other supermarket staples that can halt the factory line when the market shifts, cows can’t just turn off their udders. Bloomberg Wire, Dallas News, 11 July 2023 Scientists had replaced the nucleus of an egg cell with the nucleus from a parent cell — in Dolly’s case, an udder cell from a Finn Dorset sheep. Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'udder.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English ūder; akin to Old High German ūtar udder, Latin uber, Greek outhar, Sanskrit ūdhar

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of udder was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near udder

Cite this Entry

“Udder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/udder. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

udder

noun
ud·​der ˈəd-ər How to pronounce udder (audio)
1
: a large bag-shaped organ (as of a cow) consisting of two or more mammary glands enclosed in a common pouch but with each having a separate nipple
2
: a mammary gland

Medical Definition

udder

noun
ud·​der ˈəd-ər How to pronounce udder (audio)
: a large pendulous organ in various mammals and especially a female domestic bovine consisting of two or more mammary glands enclosed in a common envelope and each provided with a single nipple

More from Merriam-Webster on udder

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