nipple, n.
(ˈnɪp(ə)l)
Forms: α. 6 neble, nible, 7 nibble. β. 6 neapil, neaple, nypil, 7 nipl, 6– nipple.
[Of uncertain origin: there is no clear connexion with OE. nypel, used by ælfric of an elephant's trunk.]
1. a. The small prominence, composed of vascular erectile tissue, in which the ducts of the mammary glands terminate externally in nearly all mammals of both sexes; esp. that of a woman's breast; a teat.
| α 1530 Palsgr. 247/2 Neble of a womans pappe, bout de la mamelle. 1598 R. Haydocke tr. Lomazzo i. 30 The heades or extuberances whence the milke is sucked out, are called Nibles. 1611 Cotgr., Tetin, the nibble or nipple of a dug. 1650 Massey Glasse for Worldlings 21 So much wormwood withall makes me nauseat the nibble. 1682 N. O. Boileau's Lutrin ii. 114 Or Caucasus did form thee, of a Pebble, Or some fell Tigress nurs'd thee with her nibble. |
| β 1538 Elyot, Papilla, the nyppell or teate of a womannes breaste. 1570 Levins Manip. 125/26 A Nypil, papilla. Ibid. 209/8 A Neaple, teate, papilla. 1592 Shakes. Rom. & Jul. i. iii. 30 It did tast the Worme-wood on the nipple of my Dugge. 1598 Chapman Iliad iv. 568 Thoas..threw a dart, that did his pile convay Above his nipple, through his lungs. 1656 Ridgley Pract. Physick 156 The child will suck, and not touch the Nipple with his Lips. 1707 Phil. Trans. XXV. 2216 A small portion of it, in the form of a Nipple, did intrude itself as it were under the Tongue. 1803 Med. Jrnl. IX. 428 A tumour appeared under his left nipple. 1835 Kirby Hab. & Inst. Anim. II. xxiv. 477 The elephant..has only two pectoral nipples. 1869 Lady Lytton Orval 139 A finer babe was never Put to the nipple. |
| fig. 1642 Fuller Holy & Prof. St. v. xiv. 411 He infected the Universitie, from which he suck'd no milk but poysoned her nipples. |
b. transf. A device used to cover the nipple while a child is sucking; also, the teat of a nursing-bottle.
| 1661 Lovell Hist. Anim. & Min. 412 The paine in sucking may be prevented by an artificial nipple, covered with that of a young heifer. 1875 Knight Dict. Mech. 1528/2 The nipple..has a stop-flange to keep it from passing too far into the infant's mouth. |
2. a. Something resembling a nipple in function as well as form.
| 1573 Baret Alv. s.v., A little cocke, end, or nipple perced,..which is put at the end of the cannelles of a fountayne, where through y⊇ water commeth forth. 1841 Civil Eng. & Arch. Jrnl. IV. 93/2 A stop cock..so adjusted as to allow any number of drops per minute to fall from the nipple. 1873 Spon Workshop Rec. Ser. i. 132/2 For filling the cases nipples of various sizes are employed, made preferably of metal. |
b. A prominence on the surface of the skin which resembles a nipple;
esp. such as marks the outlet of any secretory gland.
| 1713 Derham Phys.-Theol. vii. i. note, Two or three larger Cells, lying under the Nipple of the Oil-bag. 1730 Chamberlayne Relig. Philos. I. xiv. §3 Those little Protuberances, which they call the Papillae, or Nipples [of the tongue]. 1797 Encycl. Brit. (ed. 3) II. 192/2 Spiders have five tubercles or nipples at the extremity of the belly. 1826 Kirby & Sp. Entomol. xxx. III. 128 Between them also there is a lozenge-shaped opening, through which..protruded a circular sort of nipple. |
c. A small protuberance on glass or metal; a projection of any kind having the appearance of a nipple.
| 1839 Ure Dict. Arts 582 Another workman now applies the end of a solid iron rod tipped with melted glass..to the nipple or prominence in the middle. 1863 Tyndall Heat iv. §115 (1870) 101 Whenever the hot metal comes into contact with its lead carrier, a nipple suddenly juts from the latter. 1880 Spon's Encycl. Manuf. II. 558 A nipple for attachment [of the button] to the garment. |
d. A small rounded elevation on the summit of a hill or mountain.
| 1859 Merc. Marine Mag. (1860) VII. 106 Vessels..cannot fail..to recognize the mountain..by its..top, having several nipples. 1860 Ibid. 328 The western of these nipples is the higher. 1873 W. Cory Lett. & Jrnls. (1897) 343 The crests or nipples of the hill-line are crowned with the domes of the mosques. |
3. A short perforated piece made upon, or screwed into, the breech of a muzzle-loading gun, on which the percussion cap is fixed and exploded.
| 1822 Specific. S. Davis's Patent No. 4648 My improvement consists in forming and constructing the pan and nipple of the lock. 1853 Stocqueler Mil. Encycl. 126/2 A small copper capsule..which fits on the nipple of the touch⁓hole. 1897 F. M. Crawford Corleone x, There was a percussion cap on the nipple of the lock. |
4. attrib. and
Comb. a. In sense 1, as
nipple-chancre,
nipple-level,
nipple-line,
nipple-shield;
nipple-like,
nipple-shaped.
| 1897 Allbutt's Syst. Med. II. 271 A *nipple chancre..is not an infrequent result. |
| 1893 Gee Auscultation & Percussion (ed. 4) i. i. 9 The maximum of difference, on the *nipple level, being an inch and a quarter. 1898 Allbutt's Syst. Med. V. 360 Two inches above the nipple level. |
| 1826 Kirby & Sp. Entomol. xxx. III. 138 They are a mere retractile *nipple-like protuberance. |
| 1879 St. George's Hosp. Rep. IX. 183 Apex beat in 5th sp. × *nipple line. |
| 1844 H. Stephens Bk. Farm III. 875 A small *nipple-shaped knob. |
| 1799 Underwood Dis. Children III. 111 This public recommendation of the *Nipple-Shield. 1860 Simmonds Dict. Trade, Nipple shield, a protection for the breast worn by females. |
b. In sense 3, as
nipple-lump,
nipple-seat,
nipple-wrench.
| 1868 Rep. to Govt. U.S. Munitions War 35 Holding the breech-block firmly..by means of the thumb-piece and *nipple-lump. |
| 1875 Knight Dict. Mech. 1528/2 *Nipple-seat, the hump on the side of a barrel on which the nipple is screwed. |
| 1844 Regul. & Ord. Army 96 note, One *nipple Wrench. 1875 Knight Dict. Mech. 1529/1 Nipple-wrench, the spanner..used for screwing it to and unscrewing it from the barrel. |
c. In names of plants, etc., as
† nipple cowry,
† nipple peach;
nipple cactus, a cactus of the genus
Mammillaria, having nipple-like protuberances (
Cent. Dict. 1890).
| 1876 Encycl. Brit. IV. 625/2 Mammillaria.—This group..is called *Nipple Cactus. 1971 D. Weniger Cacti of Southwest 122/1 Mammillaria similis... ‘Nipple Cactus’. |
| 1713 Petiver Aquat. Anim. Amb. 4/1 Gibba{ddd}white *Nipple Coury. |
| 1719 London & Wise Compl. Gard. 83 These are condemn'd by the Author as the worst of Peaches. *Nipple Peach [etc.]. |
Hence
nipple v., to furnish with a nipple or nipples; to cover with nipple-like protuberances.
| 1882 in Ogilvie. 1892 Daily News 14 Nov. 6/2, I returned to the place, lest some portions of convexed nippled iron should..excite curiosity. |
______________________________
Add:
ˈnippled (ppl.) a., furnished with or possessing a nipple or nipples; also
fig.| 1971 Daily Tel. (Colour Suppl.) 19 Feb. 28/1 An enormous pinkish castle, proudly nippled with a pair of towers. 1978 M. Puzo Fools Die xxxvii. 425 At the sight of the nippled breasts Janelle felt a surge of sexual lust. |