milk

noun \ ˈmilk \

Updated on: 14 May 2018

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 : 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

See milk defined for English-language learners

See milk defined for kids

Examples of milk in a Sentence

cheese made from sheep's milk
a glass of low-fat milk

Recent Examples of milk from the Web

In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk together milk, canola oil and eggs.

— nancy miller, The Courier-Journal, "Louisville bakery helps rescue exploited women through baked goods," 8 May 2018
Breakfast of presidents Stamped with the faces of Maduro and Chavez, the CLAP boxes usually contain rice, pasta, grains, cooking oil, powdered milk, canned tuna and other basic goods.

— scott smith, Houston Chronicle, "ConocoPhillips seeks control of Venezula oil assets to settle $2b award," 7 May 2018
Add milk, cooking and stirring until mixture thickens.

— judy buchenot, chicagotribune.com, "Suburban Cooks: Greek fest revives traditional dishes," 4 May 2018
They may actually have been used to hold straight-from-the-cow milk, fish for crabs or, in the days before Google, to store library index cards.

— richard a. marini, San Antonio Express-News, "S.A.’s doors, windows, hardware from old homes finding new lives," 4 May 2018
The meals include such items as milk, fruit, yogurt, cereal, muffins, and sometimes hot items like egg sandwiches or pancakes.

— james vaznis, BostonGlobe.com, "Boston makes little progress on school breakfast goal," 3 May 2018
IgA is also abundant in mother’s milk, presumably to fend off infections.

— elizabeth pennisi, Science | AAAS, "By wrapping itself in antibodies, this bacterium may become a stable, beneficial part of the gut," 3 May 2018
Generally, the agency advises using proper handwashing and kitchen sanitation when preparing food; cooking meat at proper temperatures; avoiding raw milk, unpasteurized dairy products and juices; and not swallowing water when swimming.

— susan scutti, CNN, "Why what's lurking in leafy greens can make you seriously sick," 2 May 2018
In general, however, economists agree that a recent dip in commodity prices, driven by a surplus of corn, soybeans and milk, has pushed the farmers’ share down in the short-term.

— caitlin dewey, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Farmers reap just pennies of total food cost, study finds," 2 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'milk.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of milk

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

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First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

Other Food Terms

Reuben, calamari, chuck, curry, edamame, foie gras, hummus, leaven, nonpareil, peel

milk

verb

transitive verb

1 a (1) : to draw milk from the breasts or udder of

(2) obsolete : suckle 2

b : to draw (milk) from the breast or udder

c : suckle 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

See milk defined for English-language learners

Examples of milk in a Sentence

greedy landlords milking their tenants of all their money
unscrupulous people trying to milk the welfare system for all it's worth

Recent Examples of milk from the Web

More than 400 interior and exterior LEDs, 205 high-efficiency barn fans, state-of-the-art milking equipment, and a dedicated medical wing are all part of the Oakridge Dairy's new facility.

— steve smith, Courant Community, "Oakridge Dairy A Model Of Efficiency," 8 May 2018
They were milked daily, surrendering a watery mixture that was low in fat and bluish in color.

— elaine khosrova, WSJ, "‘Milk!’ Review: Food History Worth Nursing," 7 May 2018
Wisconsin lost 500 dairy farms in 2017, and about 150 have quit milking cows so far this year, putting the total number of milk-cow herds at around 7,600 — down 20% from five years ago.

— rick barrett, USA TODAY, "America's Dairyland reels as low milk prices destroy family farms," 1 May 2018
Presuming Johnson would run for re-election, Minnesota Sen. Eugene McCarthy milked the antiwar vote, and ended up only seven points behind LBJ in the New Hampshire primary.

— david wiegand, San Francisco Chronicle, "RFK doc misses the bigger picture for Baby Boomers coming of age," 23 Apr. 2018
Grissom balances well-meaning bonhomie with repugnant cluelessness, and Erb milks ample humor from her ditsy, downtrodden pastor's wife — the worm about to turn.

— f. kathleen foley, latimes.com, "In 'Through the Eye of a Needle,' a lost daughter and a family coming to grips," 17 Apr. 2018
In the western New York town of Hornell, 30-year-old Anna Stewart milked the 130 cows on her dairy farm on Friday in a barn powered by a generator hooked up to a tractor.

— sarah betancourt, USA TODAY, "Nor'easter: At least 5 killed by falling trees, branches; nearly 2M customers lost power," 3 Mar. 2018
Sucked into the machine, my nipples looked like long, pink taffy, stretched and then milked.

— meaghan o'connell, Longreads, "A Certain Kind of Mammal," 10 Apr. 2018
Mesereau, who won an acquittal in Michael Jackson's 2005 child molestation case, told the jury instead that Constand was in deep financial trouble and had pinned her hopes on milking her relationship with Cosby.

— CBS News, "Bill Cosby's lawyer launches blistering attack on Andrea Constand," 10 Apr. 2018

First Known Use of milk

before 12th century

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a(1)

See Words from the same year

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milk Synonyms

Synonyms

abuse, capitalize (on), cash in (on), exploit, impose (on or upon), leverage, play (on or upon), use, work;

Related Words

jerk around, manipulate, mistreat;

bleed, cheat, fleece, overcharge, skin, soak, stick;

commercialize, commodify;

Phrases

trade on, walk on;

milk

adjective

: giving milk; specifically : bred or suitable primarily for milk production

milk cows

Recent Examples of milk from the Web

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, "America's Dairyland reels as low milk prices destroy family farms," 1 May 2018
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, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "With their way of life in jeopardy, dairy farmers search for ways to stabilize markets," 27 Apr. 2018
Special guests from LaClare Farms, including Peanut the goat, will be on hand for a beer pairing tailored specifically to small-batch Wisconsin goats milk cheese.

— geoff bruce, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Mequon, Cedarburg, Brown Deer and Thiensville Get-Out Guide: Applefest, cheese and beer, and more," 25 Sep. 2017
Milk cartons and other three-dimensional products are sorted by hand.

— administrator_test, The Denver Post, "Quick solutions to the most common recycling mistakes," 5 Mar. 2017

First Known Use of milk

14th century

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Other Animal Husbandry Terms

apiary, bantam, calico, girth, hogwash, mast, rut

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

MILK Defined for English Language Learners

milk

noun

: a white liquid produced by a woman to feed her baby or by female animals to feed their young; especially : milk from cows or goats that is used as food by people
: a white liquid produced by a plant

milk

verb

: to get milk from (an animal)
: to use (something or someone) in a way that helps you unfairly

MILK Defined for Kids

milk

noun \ ˈmilk \

1 : a whitish liquid produced and given off by the breasts or udder of a female mammal as food for her young

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

3 : a liquid that looks like milk

coconut milk

milk

verb

milked; milking

: to draw milk from (as by pressing)

milk a cow

Medical Dictionary

milk

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 2

cows in milk

milk

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

Learn More about milk

See words that rhyme with milk Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for milk Spanish Central: Translation of milk Nglish: Translation of milk for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of milk for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about milk

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milk

Examples of milk in a Sentence

Recent Examples of milk from the Web

Origin and Etymology of milk

Other Food Terms

milk

Examples of milk in a Sentence

Recent Examples of milk from the Web

First Known Use of milk

milk Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Phrases

milk

Recent Examples of milk from the Web

First Known Use of milk

Other Animal Husbandry Terms

Milk

Phrases Related to MILK

Related Phrases

MILK Defined for English Language Learners

milk

milk

MILK Defined for Kids

milk

milk

Medical Dictionary

milk

milk

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