buttermilk

noun

but·​ter·​milk ˈbə-tər-ˌmilk 

1

: the liquid left after butter has been churned from milk or cream

2

: cultured milk made by the addition of suitable bacteria to sweet milk

Examples of buttermilk in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Flavored with garlic, salt, pepper, and buttermilk, this dish tastes like the real thing. —Josh Miller, Southern Living, 7 Nov. 2025

The meal includes two buttermilk pancakes, two strips of bacon, two sausage links and two eggs cooked to order. —Fielding Buck, Oc Register, 6 Nov. 2025

What To Know From November 3, customers across the nation can try McDonald's new, limited-edition Buffalo Ranch Sauce—cool, creamy, buttermilk ranch, blended with garlicky, oniony, tangy buffalo sauce—which McDonald's says goes perfectly with chicken. —Amanda Greenwood, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Nov. 2025

Flaky buttermilk biscuits meet the sweet tenderness of cornbread in this bake. —Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 31 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for buttermilk

• ilk
• silk
• whilk
• wilk

Kids Definition

buttermilk

noun

but·​ter·​milk ˈbət-ər-ˌmilk 

1

: the liquid left after the butterfat has been churned from milk or cream

2

: milk from which all or part of the cream has been removed and which has been soured by adding certain bacteria

Medical Definition

buttermilk

noun

but·​ter·​milk ˈbət-ər-ˌmilk 

1

: the liquid left after butter has been churned from milk or cream

2

: cultured milk made by the addition of suitable bacteria to sweet milk