milk

1 of 3

noun

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

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
According to an allergen and ingredient guide on the Dunkin’ website, every doughnut on its limited-time and permanent menus includes at least eggs, milk, soy and wheat, meaning none are vegan or gluten-free. Emily Heil, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024 Combine eggs, flour, milk, sugar and nutmeg in a blender jar and blend until very smooth. Emily Weinstein, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2024 And after exercising, people can reach for easy protein-rich and carb-rich snacks such as smoothies with Greek yogurt or protein powder, chocolate milk, or eggs on toast. Rebecca Jaspan, Mph, Health, 5 Mar. 2024 Stir the sauce constantly when adding the milk the help prevent lumps. Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Mar. 2024 The pallets were loaded with cardboard boxes containing rice, flour, sugar, tea and milk, along with sanitary napkins. Jane Arraf, NPR, 1 Mar. 2024 Republicans on social media are rallying behind an Amish farmer in Pennsylvania who suffered a police raid last month for selling milk in violation of government regulations. Anders Hagstrom, Fox News, 29 Feb. 2024 Amazingly, both the male and female Pigeons create crop milk! Popsci Staff, Popular Science, 28 Feb. 2024 Whisk in a little milk to thin it out into a salad dressing. Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 25 Feb. 2024
Verb
That the club has Messi on parade milking his name for maximum profit is understandable. Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 5 Feb. 2024 Here's a look at some of the numbers behind the operation: A dairy that's more than just milk About 15 trucks a day arrived at Kwik Trip's dairy last year from farms that are all within 150 miles of La Crosse, bringing in 4.8 million pounds of raw milk a day. Karl Ebert, Journal Sentinel, 12 Feb. 2024 Carolina made the gift interception and drove nearly the length of the field to milk the remaining time on the clock, kicking a chip-shot field goal as time expired. Paul Newberry, USA TODAY, 8 Jan. 2024 In court Monday, Milton portrayed himself as a generous and honest yet unsophisticated businessman who grew up milking cows, lacked a college degree and did not mean to defraud investors in his electric truck company. Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 18 Dec. 2023 The dad, Matty (Scott Grimes, milking every ounce of modern Archie Bunkerism from his role), is a parody of blue-collar Beantown bluster. Chris Vognar, Rolling Stone, 11 Jan. 2024 Experts then milk the collected spiders for their venom so the material can be used to produce life-saving antivenom for humans. Esme Mazzeo, Peoplemag, 5 Jan. 2024 Since 1981, the park has operated a successful Spider Venom Program, in which more than 2,000 spiders—ranging from babies to adults—are kept and milked on weekly schedules. Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Jan. 2024 All of this, if milked for the proper psychological tension, might have had the makings of an effective thriller. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 4 Jan. 2024
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

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'milk.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of milk was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near milk

Cite this Entry

“Milk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/milk. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

milk

1 of 3 noun
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
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

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

More from Merriam-Webster on milk

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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