mastitis: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowTechnical/Medical
Quick answer
What does “mastitis” mean?
Inflammation of the breast or mammary gland.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
Inflammation of the breast or mammary gland.
A medical condition, most common in breastfeeding women (lactational mastitis) but also affecting animals, caused by infection, blocked milk ducts, or tissue irritation, characterized by pain, swelling, redness, and often fever.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical or semantic differences. Minor orthographic difference: British English may hyphenate the related term 'mastitis-agalactiae' more readily. Treatment contexts differ slightly (e.g., NHS vs. insurance).
Connotations
Identical medical connotations. It is associated with breastfeeding challenges, veterinary medicine (esp. dairy cattle), and postpartum health.
Frequency
Frequency is similar in both varieties, confined primarily to medical, veterinary, and maternal health contexts. The word is not part of everyday conversation.
Grammar
How to Use “mastitis” in a Sentence
The patient developed mastitis.The cow was diagnosed with mastitis.Mastitis is often caused by a blocked duct.She is being treated for mastitis.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “mastitis” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- No direct verb form. Use 'develop mastitis' or 'contract mastitis'.
American English
- No direct verb form. Use 'come down with mastitis' or 'get mastitis'.
adverb
British English
- No adverb form.
American English
- No adverb form.
adjective
British English
- mastitis-related pain
- a mastitis patient
American English
- mastitis-specific symptoms
- mastitis treatment
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare, except in pharmaceutical, veterinary supply, or dairy industry contexts.
Academic
Common in medical, veterinary, and biological research papers.
Everyday
Used primarily by breastfeeding mothers, midwives, lactation consultants, and veterinarians in discussion.
Technical
The standard term in human and veterinary medicine, with sub-types (e.g., periductal mastitis, puerperal mastitis).
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “mastitis”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “mastitis”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “mastitis”
- Misspelling as 'mastititis' or 'mastitus'.
- Incorrect pronunciation stressing the first syllable (MA-sti-tis).
- Using it as a non-count noun exclusively (it can be countable: 'She had two bouts of mastitis').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Primarily, yes, as it involves breast tissue. It is most common in breastfeeding women. However, men and non-lactating women can very rarely develop it, usually due to infection or hormonal issues.
Not exactly. Mastitis is inflammation of breast tissue, which can be caused by an infection (bacterial mastitis) or by milk stasis/blockage (non-infectious). So, all breast infections cause mastitis, but not all mastitis is caused by infection.
Treatment depends on the cause. For non-infectious mastitis, frequent milk removal (feeding/pumping), warm compresses, and pain relief are key. For bacterial mastitis, a course of antibiotics is usually prescribed.
In dairy farming, mastitis in cows is a major economic concern. It reduces milk yield and quality, increases veterinary costs, and can lead to culling of animals. Controlling it is critical for herd health and farm profitability.
Inflammation of the breast or mammary gland.
Mastitis is usually technical/medical in register.
Mastitis: in British English it is pronounced /mæˈstaɪ.tɪs/, and in American English it is pronounced /mæˈstaɪ.t̬ɪs/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “No common idioms.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Mast- (think 'mast' like a ship's pole, but here from Greek 'mastos' for breast) + -itis (inflammation). So: breast-inflammation.
Conceptual Metaphor
Not applicable. Purely clinical term.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the term 'mastitis' LEAST likely to be used?