milk

noun \ ˈmilk \

Definition of milk

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

Tuck one into their (or your!) lunchbox or serve with a glass of milk after school.

— Cincinnati.com, "Candied jalapenos much requested," 30 Aug. 2017
The milk helps to soften the acidity of the wine and tomatoes.

— nancy miller, The Courier-Journal, "Recipes from At The Italian Table make you 'sit up and pay attention'," 22 Aug. 2017
Talk to their 4-H owners about raising goats or ask where to buy goat milk and cheese.

— vickie snow jurkowski, Daily Southtown, "Need a goat fix? Here are some places you're welcome to kid around," 16 Aug. 2017
The most dexterous milk maid in Lake county is Virginia Keilman of Rt. 1, Dyer.

— kitty conley, Post-Tribune, "Lake County Star Newspaper Almanac," 14 Aug. 2017
Cook the milk mixture over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until almost simmering.

— Popular Mechanics, "How to Make Ice Cream," 4 Aug. 2017
Let the veggies cool slightly and then add to a blender along with the vegetable broth, milk, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and lemon juice.

— joseph hernandez, chicagotribune.com, "From blog to cookbook: Plant-based eating catching on — without the dogma," 18 July 2017
Creme’s soft-serve is a super creamy milk flavor and can be topped off with different flavored powders (try the black sesame), cereals, and cookie crumbs.

— steffi victorioso, Los Angeles Magazine, "These 9 K-Town Desserts Will Save You From The Soul-Melting Heat," 17 July 2017
To make: Blend together 3/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk, 3 tbsp.

— lisa lillien, Redbook, "4 Better, Slimmer Smoothies You Can Make At Home," 13 July 2017

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

Other Food Terms

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

milk

verb

Definition of milk

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

In Bullitt County, Minnie Maraman went out to milk her cows for the last time.

— andrew wolfson, The Courier-Journal, "There's hope for Houston in the story of Louisville's Great Flood of 1937," 28 Aug. 2017
The Royals milked much of the third quarter and wore North Central down with a grueling 14-play drive that resulted in a 3-yard touchdown run by senior quarterback Cody Huppenthal.

— kevin johnston, Indianapolis Star, "High school football: North Central making upset wins a habit," 25 Aug. 2017
First, the team thought Breaux milked a leg contusion.

— larry holder, NOLA.com, "Players put faith in Saints' intercession on medical staff issue," 18 Aug. 2017
But Marc Webb's The Only Living Boy in New York, which both features and is named after the 1970 classic, milks it to alarmingly little effect.

— jon frosch, The Hollywood Reporter, "'The Only Living Boy in New York': Film Review," 5 Aug. 2017
Marcelin and Francine Dumoulin, the parents of seven children, had gone to milk their cows in a meadow above Chandolin in the Valais canton on August 15, 1942.

— stephanie nebehay, Alaska Dispatch News, "Swiss glacier gives up bodies of couple missing 75 years," 18 July 2017
Just as Fox milked outrage over Obama for views, CNN is doing the same with Trump for clicks.

— tiana lowe, National Review, "Jim Acosta Leads CNN’s Breathless Crusade against the White House," 10 July 2017
Just ask Keith O'Connell, who with his brother milks 180 Holsteins on a farm in the dead center of the disease zone.

— rick romell, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "With deer hunting woven into our cultural and economic fabric, a threat to the herd could turn catastrophic," 6 July 2017
The stanchions where cows were milked still remain, along with the horse stalls.

— john carlisle, Detroit Free Press, "Historic barn on Leelanau Peninsula faces demolition," 22 June 2017

First Known Use of milk

before 12th century

milk Synonyms

Synonyms

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

Related Words

jerk around, manipulate, mistreat; bleed, cheat, fleece, overcharge, skin, soak, stick; commercialize, commodify

milk

adjective

Definition of milk

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

milk cows

Recent Examples of milk from the Web

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

Other Animal Husbandry Terms

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

Milk

geographical name \ ˈmilk \

Definition of Milk

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

Definition of milk for English Language Learners

: 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

Definition of milk for English Language Learners

: 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 \

Definition of milk for Students

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

Definition of milk for Students

milked; milking

:to draw milk from (as by pressing)

milk a cow

Medical Dictionary

milk

noun \ ˈmilk \

medical Definition of milk

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

medical Definition of milk

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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Examples of milk in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of milk

Other Food Terms

milk

Definition of milk

Examples of milk in a Sentence

Recent Examples of milk from the Web

First Known Use of milk

milk Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

milk

Definition of milk

Recent Examples of milk from the Web

First Known Use of milk

Other Animal Husbandry Terms

Milk

Definition of Milk

Phrases Related to MILK

Related Phrases

MILK Defined for English Language Learners

milk

Definition of milk for English Language Learners

milk

Definition of milk for English Language Learners

MILK Defined for Kids

milk

Definition of milk for Students

milk

Definition of milk for Students

Medical Dictionary

milk

medical Definition of milk

milk

medical Definition of milk

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