nip´ple|like´

nip|ple «NIHP uhl», noun.

1. the small projection on a breast or udder through which an infant or a baby animal gets its mother's milk; teat: »

the nipple of a mother cat.

Nipples are common to all mammals.

2. the rubber cap or mouthpiece of a baby's bottle, through which the baby gets milk and other liquids.

3. anything shaped or used like a nipple, such as a device on a stopcock to regulate the flow of a liquid.

4. a) a short piece of pipe threaded at each end for use as a coupling. b) a threaded end of a pipe to which a faucet, hose, or other connecting part can be attached.

╂[earlier nible, neble; origin uncertain, perhaps (diminutive) < neb. Compare etym. under nib.]

–nip´ple|like´, adjective.