dairy

noun

ˈder-ē 

plural dairies

often attributive

1

: milk from a cow or other domestic animal (such as a goat)

also : food (such as ice cream, cheese, or yogurt) made primarily of or from milk

2

: a room, building, or establishment where milk is kept and butter or cheese is made

3

a

: the department of farming or of a farm that is concerned with the production of milk, butter, and cheese

b

: a farm devoted to such production

4

: an establishment for the sale or distribution chiefly of milk and milk products

dairy adjective

dairy products

Examples of dairy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Right out the gate, owner Denman followed suit and declared that dairy-free milk would be available without an extra charge. — Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 5 Oct. 2026

In new guidance, the American Academy of Pediatrics says unpasteurized dairy is unsafe and offers no proven health benefits. — Kathleen Felton, Washington Post, 5 Oct. 2026

In response, school lunch menus were revamped to offer more meatless and dairy-free options. — Bob Drogin, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2026

Tasting Table also cited the chain's rewards program and its decision to axe the surcharge for dairy-free milk options. — Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English deierie, dayerye, borrowed from Anglo-French deyerie, daerie, from Middle English deie, daie "woman in charge of milking and making butter and cheese" (going back to Old English dǣge "female baker, female servant," going back to Germanic *daigjōn—whence also Old Norse deigja "female servant"— derivative of *daiga- dough) + Anglo-French -erie -ery (after botelerie "wine cellar," paneterie "bread shop, pantry")

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing dairy

• dairy cattle

Rhymes for dairy

• aerie
• airy
• arie
• barre
• cherry
• clary
• eyrie
• faerie
• faery
• fairy
• ferry
• hairy

Kids Definition

dairy

noun

ˈde(ə)r-ē 

da(ə)r-

plural dairies

1

: a place where milk is kept and butter or cheese is made

2

: a farm devoted to the production of milk

3

: a company that sells milk and milk products

4

: milk from a cow or other domestic animal (as a goat)

also : food (as ice cream, cheese, or yogurt) made primarily of or from milk