lacto, āvi, ātum (used almost exclusively in the part. pres.), 1, v. a. and n. [lac].
I To contain milk, to have milk, to give suck : ubera lactantia, Ov. M. 6, 342; 7, 321; Lucr. 5, 885: ubera quae non lactaverunt, Vulg. Luc. 23, 29: quaecunque (femina) id temporis lactans est, Gell. 12, 1, 17.—
II To suck milk, to take the breast, to suck : puer lactans, Liv. Andron. ap. Non. 153, 26 (Trag. Rel. v. 38 Rib.); cf.: infans lactavit, Aus. Epit. 32: anni lactantes, the suckling years (of a child), id. Idyll. 4, 67.—
III To be full of milk, to be milky : metae, cheeses , Mart. 1, 43, 7 (cf.: meta lactis, id. 3, 58, 35).—Part. as subst.: lactantia , ium, n., milky food , Cels. 2, 28, 2 al.—
IV Act., to give suck to : lactaverunt catulos suos, Vulg. Thren. 4, 2: filium suum, id. 1 Reg. 1, 23.— Pass. : lactare ut nutriaris, Aug. Enarr. in Psa. 130, 12: mamilla regum lactaberis, Vulg. Isa. 60, 16.