lactante
Lemma Details
Translation: nursing; breastfeeding; suckling; lactating
Part of Speech: adjective
Etymology: Derived from Latin 'lactans, lactantis', the present participle of 'lactare' meaning 'to give milk'. It shares the same Latin root 'lact-' with English words like 'lactation', 'lactose', and 'lactic'. This root comes from Latin 'lac' (milk). The '-ante' suffix in Spanish indicates a present participle, similar to English '-ing'.
Commonality: 60%
Guessability: 70%
Register: neutral
Example Usage
El bebé lactante necesita alimentarse cada tres horas.
The nursing baby needs to be fed every three hours.
La madre lactante debe mantener una dieta equilibrada.
The breastfeeding mother should maintain a balanced diet.
Hay una sala especial para madres lactantes en el centro comercial.
There is a special room for nursing mothers in the shopping mall.
Mnemonics
- Think of 'lactante' as related to 'lactation' in English - both refer to milk production.
- The 'lact' part comes from 'leche' (milk) - a lactante needs leche.
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Synonyms
Antonyms
Cultural Context
In Spanish-speaking countries, 'lactante' is commonly used in medical contexts and public health campaigns promoting breastfeeding. It can refer both to the mother who is breastfeeding and to the infant who is being breastfed, though it's more commonly used for the latter.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: 'Lactante' refers to breastfeeding or nursing, while 'laxante' means 'laxative' (a medicine that helps with constipation).
Confused word:
El médico le recetó un laxante para aliviar el estreñimiento.
The doctor prescribed a laxative to relieve constipation.
Notes: These words look and sound similar but have completely different meanings in medical contexts.
Mnemonic: 'Lactante' has 'lact' like 'lactation' (milk-related), while 'laxante' has 'lax' like 'relax' (what your intestines do with a laxative).