whey

noun \ ˈhwā , ˈwā \

|Updated on: 7 Jul 2018

Definition of whey

: the watery part of milk that is separated from the coagulable part or curd especially in the process of making cheese and that is rich in lactose, minerals, and vitamins and contains lactalbumin and traces of fat

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wheylike

play \ˈhwā-ˌlīk, ˈwā-\ adjective

See whey defined for English-language learners

See whey defined for kids

Examples of whey in a Sentence

The curd has separated from the whey.

Recent Examples of whey from the Web

Another time, the kitchen substituted prawns for the crab, which the waiter encircled with a frothy foam of yogurt whey.

— michael bauer, SFChronicle.com, "Atelier Crenn: SF’s newest 4-star restaurant," 29 June 2018
Save the whey and use in smoothies, blend with fruit for frozen pops or include in sauces.

— caron golden, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Yogurt: Purely homemade," 25 June 2018
For comparison: Humans currently consume some 8.8 billion pounds of whey powder a year.

— carl engelking, Discover Magazine, "A New Animal Farm," 12 June 2018
This table is used to allow molded cheese products to drain off whey.

— david j. neal, miamiherald, "Deadly listeria and a filthy factory shut down this cheese maker by court order | Miami Herald," 2 Apr. 2018
Some employees at the facility failed to wash their lower or upper arms prior to submerging them in liquid whey to stir and break up cheese curds during the production process, the court filing charged.

— kevin mccoy, USA TODAY, "Federal court shuts NY cheese facility linked to Listeria outbreak that killed two," 3 Apr. 2018
But a custom mix of different nutrients, fats, proteins and sugars, like vegetable oil and whey protein, are then added to match as closely as possible with the mother’s milk from each animal species.

— serena solomon, New York Times, "Saving Koalas, and Other Marsupials, With Milk Almost as Good as Mom’s," 24 Feb. 2018
This yogurt is essentially Greek yogurt taken a step further, strained aggressively to remove enough whey that the result is almost cream cheese-like in texture.

— alex delany, Bon Appetit, "What Is Greek Yogurt? And How Is It Different Than Regular Yogurt?," 19 Jan. 2018
Greek and Icelandic yogurt (both strained to remove the liquid whey) are thicker, creamier and richer in protein than their regular yogurt counterparts, making them one of the best snacks for curbing appetite.

— lisa drayer, CNN, "Foods that can suppress appetite, aid weight loss," 8 Mar. 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of whey

Middle English, from Old English hwæg; akin to Middle Dutch wey whey

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined above

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WHEY Defined for English Language Learners

whey

noun

Definition of whey for English Language Learners

: the watery part of milk that forms after the milk becomes thick and sour

WHEY Defined for Kids

whey

noun \ ˈhwā , ˈwā \

Definition of whey for Students

: the watery part that separates from the curd after milk sours and thickens

Medical Dictionary

whey

noun \ ˈhwā , ˈwā \

medical Definition of whey

: the serum or watery part of milk that is separated from the coagulable part or curd especially in the process of making cheese and that is rich in lactose, minerals, and vitamins and contains lactalbumin and traces of fat