LActe

Lacte is a term that appears primarily in Latin. In Latin, lacte is the ablative singular of lac, meaning milk. As such, lacte functions in phrases to indicate “by milk” or “with milk” and is commonly found in classical and scholarly Latin texts.

In English, lacte is not used as an independent word. Its significance lies in its role as the linguistic root from which a broad set of milky-related terms is derived. The English root lact- appears in lactose (milk sugar), lactation (milking), and lactiferous (bearing milk).

Anatomy and medicine: In anatomy, the term lacteal is used for the small lymphatic vessels in the villi of the small intestine that carry chyle, a milky fluid formed from fats. The name reflects the milky appearance of chyle and shares the same Latin origin as lacte.

Etymology and usage: The form lacte is chiefly encountered in Latin quotes, glosses, and etymological discussions. It is not a current English lexical item outside such contexts; its value is as a historical form and root.

See also: lactose, lactation, lactiferous, lacteal.