Where does “nipple” come from?

Nipple comes from English nib, which derives from English neb, traced back to Old English nebb, ultimately from Proto-Germanic nabją meaning a projecting point or nose-like protuberance.

nipple (English): The projection of a mammary gland from which, on...

Definitions

  1. The projection of a mammary gland from which, on...

Ancestry of “nipple”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishneple—
2EnglishNIBOf a product that is the subject of a consumer...
3EnglishnebA bird's beak or bill; A person's mouth; A...
4Middle Englishnebface, nose
5Old Englishnebbneb, nib; bill, beak; nose; cartilage of the nose
6Proto-Germanicnabjąbeak; nose

Words derived from “nipple”

Every word from Proto-Germanic nabją →