Ma'anar ƙamus na kalmar "shayarwa" ita ce samar da madara, musamman a cikin dabbobi masu shayarwa don ciyar da 'ya'yansu. Ana amfani da wannan kalma sau da yawa don kwatanta mata masu shayarwa, kamar shanu, awaki, da mutane, waɗanda suke samar da madara ga 'ya'yansu. Tsarin lactation ana sarrafa shi ta hanyar hormones kamar prolactin da oxytocin, kuma yawanci yana farawa bayan haihuwa. Mata masu shayarwa na iya samun canje-canje na jiki a ƙirjin su, gami da ƙara girma da hankali, da kuma sakin madara.