milk

1 of 3

noun

ˈmilk 

plural milks

1

a

: a fluid secreted by the mammary glands of females for the nourishment of their young

b(1)

: milk from an animal and especially a cow used as food by people

(2)

: a food product produced from seeds or fruit that resembles and is used similarly to cow's milk

vegan milk

dairy-free milks

see also almond milk, coconut milk, oat milk, soy milk

2

: a liquid resembling milk in appearance: such as

a

: the latex of a plant

b

: the contents of an unripe kernel of grain

3

: lactation

cows in milk

milk

2 of 3

verb

milked; milking; milks

transitive verb

1

a(1)

: to draw milk from the breasts or udder of

(2)

obsolete : suckle sense 2

b

: to draw (milk) from the breast or udder

c

: suckle sense 1

—used of domestic animals

2

: to draw something from as if by milking: such as

a

: to induce (a snake) to eject venom

b

: to draw or coerce profit or advantage from illicitly or to an extreme degree : exploit

milk the joke for all it's worth

intransitive verb

: to draw or yield milk

milk

3 of 3

adjective

: giving milk

specifically : bred or suitable primarily for milk production

milk cows

Synonyms

Verb

• abuse
• capitalize (on)
• cash in (on)
• exploit
• impose (on or upon)
• leverage
• pimp
• play (on or upon)
• use
• work

Examples of milk in a Sentence

Noun

cheese made from sheep's milk

a glass of low-fat milk

Verb

greedy landlords milking their tenants of all their money

unscrupulous people trying to milk the welfare system for all it's worth

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Josh Belinsky, the 28-year-old who’s got milk —minus the lactose. —Chloe Sorvino, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2023

For coffee aficionados, this espresso machine that comes with its very own milk frother is on sale for 70 percent off. —Lauren Taylor, Southern Living, 27 Nov. 2023

This beautiful coffee wizard, complete with a milk frother, makes espresso or coffee in seconds with just the tap of a button. —Lauren Levy, Parents, 27 Nov. 2023

This humble little espresso machine is fully capable of not only pulling great coffee but steaming your milk for you. —Jaina Grey, WIRED, 25 Nov. 2023

In order to receive a dairy milk substitute, a student is required to provide a note from a doctor or parent citing a medical or dietary need to restrict the student’s choice of milk. —Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 24 Nov. 2023

It’s found in foods like cheese, eggs, oily fish, milk, yogurt, and liver. —Byerin Prater, Fortune Well, 24 Nov. 2023

The middle, ring, and pinky fingers as well as thumb of her right hand are sporting an ombré take on the milk bath manicure trend, with a semi-sheer white at the tips transitioning into the palest pink at the cuticles. —Marci Robin, Allure, 20 Nov. 2023

The inflated price of gas or a gallon of milk seems like a bigger problem for Biden than his decision to stick with America’s decades-old military backing of Israel. —Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 17 Nov. 2023

Verb

Thousands of acres of crops ready for harvest risked rotting; dairy cows went without milking; chickens succumbed to heat and lack of water. —Howard Lafranchi, The Christian Science Monitor, 27 Nov. 2023

In an entertainment landscape that milks franchises for the hell of it, Ballads sets itself apart by actually being good — great, even! —James Grebey, Vulture, 17 Nov. 2023

Perhaps Morgan just couldn’t resist milking Debicki’s uncanny re-creation of the Princess for a few more minutes. —Tom Gliatto, Peoplemag, 16 Nov. 2023

But the fact is, family members milking (or been perceived as doing so) relationships to presidents is hardly new. —TIME, 12 Oct. 2023

The movie, the bulk of which takes place in the couple’s 200-year-old farmhouse, is small-scale and intimate, and it’s been designed to milk Ronan and Mescal for every inch of their raw actorly integrity. —Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 30 Sep. 2023

And solar can also help offset energy costs for things like grain drying or milking parlors. —Izzy Ross, Detroit Free Press, 11 Sep. 2023

Diamond sued its parent company Sinclair Broadcasting, accusing it of fraudulently withdrawing as much as $1.5 billion from Diamond, siphoning away assets and milking funds to more quickly push it toward bankruptcy. —Dustin Dopirak, The Indianapolis Star, 18 Aug. 2023

Boebert distinguished herself during the fraught speaker’s race in January as one of the most committed holdouts against Representative Kevin McCarthy, a California Republican, milking the moment for maximum Fox News exposure. —Annie Karni, BostonGlobe.com, 16 Sep. 2023

Adjective

The beer was cold and good, the local sheep’s milk cheese pungent and delicious. —Washington Post, 27 Nov. 2019

The protein Perfect Day uses may not come from cow milk, but it’s still technically milk protein—and that’s what’s printed on the ingredients list, because that’s how the US Food and Drug Administration regulates product labeling. —Chase Purdy, Quartz, 11 July 2019

Some of the farm groups cite Canada’s dairy system as an example of how milk supply management, coupled with price controls, has kept small farms in business. —Rick Barrett, USA TODAY, 1 May 2018

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Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English meolc, milc; akin to Old High German miluh "milk," Old English melcan "to milk" — more at emulsion

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a(1)

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing milk

• certified milk
• coconut milk
• land of milk and honey
• evaporated milk
• ice milk
• milk fat
• milk leg
• milk glass
• milk-livered
• milk house
• milk stout
• milk vein
• skim milk
• semi-skimmed milk
• soy milk
• malted milk
• milk float
• milk run
• oat milk
• milk-and-water
• milk crate
• almond milk
• condensed milk
• milk shake
• milk of magnesia
• milk sugar
• milk/bleed/suck (someone or something) dry
• milk tooth
• the milk of human kindness
• milk vetch
• milk punch
• milk chocolate
• milk fever
• milk snake
• milk sickness
• top milk
• milk thistle
• cry over spilled milk

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• certified milk
• coconut milk
• land of milk and honey
• evaporated milk
• ice milk
• milk fat
• milk leg
• milk glass
• milk-livered
• milk house
• milk stout
• milk vein
• skim milk
• semi-skimmed milk
• soy milk
• malted milk
• milk float
• milk run
• oat milk
• milk-and-water
• milk crate
• almond milk
• condensed milk
• milk shake
• milk of magnesia
• milk sugar
• milk/bleed/suck (someone or something) dry
• milk tooth
• the milk of human kindness
• milk vetch
• milk punch
• milk chocolate
• milk fever
• milk snake
• milk sickness
• top milk
• milk thistle
• cry over spilled milk

See More

Kids Definition

milk

1 of 3 noun

ˈmilk 

1

: a whitish liquid secreted by the mammary glands of female mammals as food for their young

especially : cow's milk used as food by human beings

2

: a liquid (as the juice of a coconut) like milk

milk

2 of 3 verb

1

: to draw milk from the breasts or udder of (as by pressing or sucking)

milk a cow

2

: to draw or yield milk

return in time for milking

3

: to draw something from as if by milking

milker noun

milk

3 of 3 adjective

: giving milk

especially : bred for milk production

a milk cow

Medical Definition

milk

1 of 2 noun

ˈmilk 

1

a

: a fluid secreted by the mammary glands of females for the nourishment of their young

b(1)

: milk from an animal and especially a cow used as food by people

(2)

: a food product produced from seeds or fruit that resembles and is used similarly to cow's milk

coconut milk

soy milk

2

: lactation sense 2

cows in milk

milk

2 of 2 transitive verb

1

a

: to draw milk from the breasts or udder of

b

: to draw (milk) from the breast or udder

2

: to induce (a snake) to eject venom

intransitive verb

: to draw or yield milk

Geographical Definition

Milk

geographical name

ˈmilk 

river 625 miles (1006 kilometers) long in the Canadian province of Alberta and the U.S. state of Montana; flows southeast into the Missouri River