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

Julia was allergic to wheat, dairy, eggs, sesame, peas, lentils, mustard and all nuts. — CBS News, 11 Nov. 2026

Hospital services, vehicle insurance, dairy, and fruits and vegetables all showed large month-over-month price increases. — Steve Kopack, NBC news, 10 Nov. 2026

In the southwest corner of the state, one family dairy is capturing the methane from more than 2,000 cows and turning it into fuel for trucks. — Jessica Hullinger, Time, 9 Nov. 2026

Their family dairy business was struggling, forcing the Boersma brothers to sell their cows and consider a new venture. — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 8 Nov. 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