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μαστός

mastós

G3149 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

Breast, especially the female breast, as the anatomical organ producing milk; can refer to the physical breast in humans or animals, and in extended usage, to the source of nourishment. While typically denoting the female breast, the word can also be used more broadly in medical or metaphorical contexts.

Semantic Range

female breast, anatomical breast (in humans or animals), source of nourishment, nursing, maternal care, metaphor for sustenance

Root / Etymology

From the base μαστ-; related to the verb μασσάομαι ('to knead, to massage'), likely referring originally to the soft, malleable quality of the breast. Possibly of pre-Greek origin, as the root appears in various Indo-European languages but with uncertain direct lineage.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, μαστός is the usual term for 'breast,' especially the female breast, and is attested in Homer and later authors. The word is employed in both biological and figurative senses; for example, as a symbol of nourishment and maternal care. In the Septuagint, μαστός often translates Hebrew words for breast (e.g., שַׁד shad, דַּד dad), typically in contexts concerning nursing, fertility, or maternal imagery. In the New Testament (e.g., Luke 11:27; Luke 23:29), it refers concretely to the physical breast but, on occasion, may carry the broader sense of nurturing. The standard English translation 'breast' typically captures the basic sense, although 'pap' (Strong's gloss) is antiquated and narrower in English. It contrasts with the more general term στῆθος (stēthos), which can refer to the chest or breast of both men and women. μαστός is not associated with any particular religious or cultural nuance but drew upon imagery of nourishment and motherhood in Greco-Roman culture as well.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from the base of μασσάομαι; a (properly, female) breast (as if kneaded up):--pap.

Root Family

μαστός (mastós) — breast, nursing, suckling, source of nourishment

Root μαστ- breast, to nurse, to suckle

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G3149-01 μαστοὶ mastoi N NOM M PL breasts breasts breasts 2
G3149-02 μαστοῖς mastois N DAT M PL breasts to breasts chest 1

Occurrences in Scripture

3 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G3149-01 Luke 11:27 μαστοὶ mastoi N NOM M PL breasts breasts breasts
G3149-01 Luke 23:29 μαστοὶ mastoi N NOM M PL breasts breasts breasts
G3149-02 Revelation 1:13 μαστοῖς mastois N DAT M PL breasts to breasts chest
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