From Middle English sukelen; probably a back-formation of Middle English sukeling (“a suckling; infant”), formally equivalent to suck + -le (frequentative suffix). See suckling.
Meanings
(obsolete) A teat.
[…] the body of this fish [the Mannatee] is commonly 3 yards long and one broad, slow in swimming, wanting fins, in their place ayded with 2 paps which are not only suckles but stilts to creep a shoare upon such time she grazes […] 1638, Thomas Herbert, “Travels begun Anno 1626”, in Some yeares travels into divers parts of Asia and Afrique, London: Jacob Blome and Richard Bishop, Book 1, p. 26:
An act of suckling
The baby was having a suckle at its mother's breast.
From Middle English sukelen; probably a back-formation of Middle English sukeling (“a suckling; infant”), formally equivalent to suck + -le (frequentative suffix). See suckling.
Meanings
(transitive) To give suck to; to nurse at the breast, udder, or dugs.
[…] the breasts of Hecuba
When she did suckle Hector, looked not lovelier
Than Hector’s forehead when it spit forth blood
At Grecian sword, contemning. c. 1608–1609 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Coriolanus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iii]:
A relief of a goat suckling her young. 1907, Ronald M. Burrows, The Discoveries In Crete, page 21:
Let us indulge them; they are not weak, suckled by Wisdom, taught to walk by Virtue. 1824, Walter Savage Landor, “The Lord Brooke and Sir Philip Sidney”, in Imaginary Conversations of Literary Men and Statesmen, volume I, London: […] Taylor and Hessey, […], →OCLC, page 35:
(intransitive) To nurse; to suck milk from a nursing mother.
But out of the woman’s great brown breast the milk gushed forth for the child, milk as white as snow, and when the child suckled at one breast it flowed like a fountain from the other, and she let it flow. 1931, Pearl S. Buck, chapter 4, in The Good Earth, New York: Modern Library, published 1944, page 35:
(transitive) To nurse from (a breast, nursing mother, etc.).
She opened her eyes slightly, like a person drugged—dreamy and quiet. The baby suckled her. 1997, Ridley Pearson, Beyond Recognition, New York: Hyperion, page 129:
Buz attempted to suckle his left nipple. 1982, Bernard Malamud, God’s Grace, New York: Avon, published 1983, page 60:
vi bú (to give suck to) · ja 授乳する (to give suck to) · de säugen (to give suck to) · sv dia (to nurse; to suck) · sga ibid (to nurse; to suck) · sv dägga (to give suck to) · oc mamar (to nurse; to suck) · unm nune (to nurse; to suck) · id menyusu (to nurse; to suck) · tr emzirmek (to give suck to) · ro alăpta (to give suck to) · de stillen (to give suck to) · arz رضع (to give suck to) · mk дои (to nurse; to suck) · la nūtriō (to nurse; to suck) · oc alachar (to give suck to) · fr téter (to nurse; to suck) · el θηλάζω (to give suck to) · ar رَضِعَ (to nurse; to suck) · it allattare (to give suck to) · oc atessar (to give suck to) · ru соса́ть грудь (to nurse; to suck) · pl karmić mlekiem (to give suck to) · hu szoptat (to give suck to) · bg кърмя (to give suck to) · he הֵינִיק (to give suck to) · rup alãptedz (to give suck to) · he יָנַק (to nurse; to suck) · pt amamentar (to give suck to) · it poppare (to nurse; to suck) · mi whakangote (to give suck to) · ru вска́рмливать (to give suck to) · sh dòjiti (to give suck to) · cmn 哺乳 (to give suck to) · got 𐌳𐌰𐌳𐌳𐌾𐌰𐌽 (to give suck to) · vo sugön (to nurse; to suck) · cu доити (to give suck to) · rom chuchi del (to give suck to) · sv amma (to give suck to) · el θηλάζω (to nurse; to suck) · tr meme vermek (to give suck to) · vo sügön (to give suck to) · lad alechar (to give suck to) · mi whakangotengote (to give suck to) · cmn 母乳餵養 /母乳喂养 (to give suck to) · pt mamar (to nurse; to suck) · de saugen (to nurse; to suck) · ga diúl (to nurse; to suck) · el βυζαίνω (to nurse; to suck) · mk дои (to give suck to) · km បំបៅ (to give suck to) · lv zīst (to nurse; to suck) · eo mamnutri (to give suck to) · fur latâ (to give suck to) · fi imeä (to nurse; to suck) · ca alletar (to give suck to) · nl zuigen (to nurse; to suck) · ar رَضَّعَ (to give suck to) · sv dia (to give suck to) · cs kojit (to give suck to) · la nūtriō (to give suck to) · grc θηλάζω (to give suck to) · oc popar (to nurse; to suck) · bg бозая (to nurse; to suck) · fr allaiter (to give suck to) · sh до̀јити (to give suck to) · vi mút (to give suck to) · pl wykarmić (to give suck to) · io alaktar (to give suck to) · fi imettää (to give suck to) · oc alaitar (to give suck to) · nl zogen (to give suck to) · io mamsugar (to give suck to) · id menyusui (to give suck to) · mi whāngote (to nurse; to suck) · vo nimafön (to give suck to) · yi זייגן (to give suck to) · cmn 餵奶 /喂奶 (to give suck to) · ro suge (to nurse; to suck) · ru корми́ть гру́дью (to give suck to) · grc θηλάζω (to nurse; to suck) · lv zīdīt (to give suck to) · ga tál (to give suck to) · oc far popar (to give suck to)