# lactation

> English word · Noun · IPA /lækˈteɪʃən/ · frequency rank #35,381

## Definitions
1. The secretion of milk from the mammary gland of a female mammal.
2. The process of providing the milk to the young; breastfeeding.
3. The period of time that a mother lactates to feed her young; a lactation period.

## Etymology
Learned borrowing from Latin lactātiō, lactātiōnis. Equivalent to lactate + -ion.

## Easily confused with
- **location** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lactation-vs-location)
- **laceration** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/laceration-vs-lactation)

## Common misspellings (14)
`alctation`, `lacattion`, `lacctation`, `lactaiton`, `lactasion`, `lactatino`, `lactationn`, `lactatoin`, `lactattion`, `lacttaion`, `lacttation`, `latcation`, `lcatation`, `llactation`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/lactation