"secrete milk from the breasts," 1889, probably a back-formation from lactation. The Latin verb was lactare. Related: Lactated; lactating.
lactate (n.)
salt of lactic acid, 1790, from French (1789), from stem of lactic + -ate (1).
laconic
Lacoste
lacquer
lacrosse
lacrymatory
lactate
lactation
lacteal
lactescence
lactic
lactivorous
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