dairy

noun

ˈder-ē 

plural dairies

often attributive

1

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

2

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

3

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

4

: 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

dairy adjective

dairy products

Examples of dairy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

With higher costs to raise livestock, consumers may see increases in prices for meat, dairy, and even produce. —Brian Unger, CBS News, 1 May 2026

Never add meat, fish, dairy, fat or oils to compost. —Jessica Damiano, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026

Previously a dairy farm, with a pioneer cemetery across the street, most of the adjacent antique mall buildings date from the 1800s. —Gregory Harutunian, Chicago Tribune, 30 Apr. 2026

Visitors also flock to Dairy Lane, a dairy exhibit that pays tribute to Wisconsin’s identity as America’s Dairyland and showcases the state’s agricultural heritage in a way that resonates with both lifelong residents and first-time visitors. —Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 30 Apr. 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 1

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