Lactiferous has the following meanings in the field of medicine:

1. Producing milk.

2. Pertaining to a structure that produces milk or moves milk from one place to another. An example would be small tubes in a woman's breasts that produce milk. Lactiferous comes from the Latin word "lac" meaning "milk," the Latin word "fero" meaning "to bear," and the Greek word "osus" meaning "characterized by." Put the words together and you have "characterized by to bear milk."

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