1.
mammal
Warm-blooded vertebrate animals that have hair or fur and nurse their young with milk. The class Mammalia in biological classification.
哺乳類 is the scientific classification term for mammals. The kanji break down as 哺乳 (nursing/lactation) + 類 (class/category).
RELATED CLASSIFICATION TERMS:
COMMON EXAMPLES:
NOTE:
A common topic in science classes: 鯨は魚ではなく哺乳類だ (whales are mammals, not fish). The term is used in academic and educational contexts.
Related Words
Related:
爬虫類 (reptiles)
Related:
両生類 (amphibians)
Related:
魚類 (fish)
Related:
鳥類 (birds)
Related:
昆虫 (insects)