give suck

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The phrase "give suck" is an old-fashioned expression that means to breastfeed a baby or provide milk from the breast. It's not commonly used in modern English, but it can still be found in some literature or historical texts.

Explanation:

• Meaning: To give suck means to feed a baby with milk from the breast.
• Usage Instructions: This phrase is typically used in formal or literary contexts rather than in everyday conversation. Nowadays, we more commonly say "breastfeed" or "nurse."

Example:

• "The wet nurse gave suck to the infant while the mother was unable to care for him."

Advanced Usage:

In more advanced contexts, you might encounter "give suck" in discussions about historical practices of infant feeding or in literary analyses of texts that mention breastfeeding.

Word Variants:

• Breastfeed: The modern term that is more widely used today.
• Nurse: This can refer to both breastfeeding and the act of caring for a baby, but it can also apply to a person who takes care of someone who is ill.

Different Meanings:

While "give suck" primarily refers to breastfeeding, the phrase itself is not commonly used in modern English, so it doesn't have many alternative meanings.

Synonyms:

• Breastfeed
• Nurse
• Feed

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

There are no well-known idioms or phrasal verbs directly associated with "give suck" since it is a specific phrase. However, you might hear phrases like: - "Nurse back to health" (to take care of someone until they are healthy again).

Academic

Verb

1. give suck to
   • The wetnurse suckled the infant
   • You cannot nurse your baby in public in some places

Synonyms

• breastfeed
• suckle
• suck
• nurse
• wet-nurse
• lactate