Definition of 'milk'

Word Frequency

milk

(mɪlk )

Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular present tense milks , present participle milking , past tense, past participle milked

1. uncountable noun

Milk is the white liquid produced by cows, goats, and some other animals, which people drink and use to make butter, cheese, and yoghurt.

He popped out to buy a pint of milk.

...basic foods such as meat, bread and milk.

...empty milk bottles.

2. verb

If someone milks a cow or goat, they get milk from it, using either their hands or a machine.

Farm-workers milked cows by hand. [VERB noun]

Synonyms: draw milk from, express milk from More Synonyms of milk

milking uncountable noun [oft NOUN noun]

...an automatic milking machine.

The evening milking is usually done at about 7.30pm.

3. uncountable noun

Milk is the white liquid produced by women to feed their babies.

Milk from the mother's breast is a perfect food for the human baby.

4. variable noun

Liquid products for cleaning your skin or making it softer are sometimes referred to as milks.

...sales of cleansing milks, creams and gels.

5. verb

If you say that someone milks something, you mean that they get as much benefit or profit as they can from it, without caring about the effects this has on other people.

[disapproval]

A few people tried to milk the insurance companies. [VERB noun]

The callous couple milked money from a hospital charity to fund a lavish lifestyle. [VERB noun + from]

Synonyms: exploit, use, pump, squeeze More Synonyms of milk

See milk and water

More Synonyms of milk

Image of
milk

Video: pronunciation of
milk

milk in British English

(mɪlk )

noun

a whitish nutritious fluid produced and secreted by the mammary glands of mature female mammals and used for feeding their young until weaned

the milk of cows, goats, or other animals used by humans as a food or in the production of butter, cheese, etc

▶ Related adjectives: lacteal, lactic

any similar fluid in plants, such as the juice of a coconut

any of various milklike pharmaceutical preparations, such as milk of magnesia

4. See cry over spilt milk

verb

to draw milk from the udder of (a cow, goat, or other animal)

6. (intransitive)

(of cows, goats, or other animals) to yield milk

7. (transitive)

to draw off or tap in small quantities

to milk the petty cash

8. (transitive)

to extract as much money, help, etc, as possible from

to milk a situation of its news value

9. (transitive)

to extract venom, sap, etc, from

Word origin

Old English milc; compare Old Saxon miluk, Old High German miluh, Old Norse mjolk

Word Frequency

milk in American English

(mɪlk )

noun

a white or yellowish emulsion secreted by the mammary glands of female mammals for suckling their young and usually consisting of fats, proteins, sugars, vitamins, and minerals suspended in water

cow's milk, or, sometimes, that of goats, camels, etc., drunk by humans as a food or used to make butter, cheese, casein products, etc.

any liquid like this, as the juice of various plants or fruits (e.g., coconut milk), or any of various emulsions

verb transitive

to draw or squeeze milk from the mammary glands of (a cow, etc.)

to draw out or drain off; extract as if by milking

to drain off or extract money, ideas, strength, etc. from as if by milking; exploit

to extract juice, sap, venom, etc. from

to draw out (information, etc.) as if by milking

verb intransitive

to give milk

10.

to draw milk

adjective

11.

giving milk; kept for milking

milk cows

Idioms:

cry over spilt milk

Word origin

ME < OE meolc, akin to ON mjolk, Ger milch < IE base *melĝ-, to stroke, press out, wipe off, hence to milk (an animal) > Gr amelgein, L mulgere, to milk

Word Frequency

milk in American English

(mɪlk)

noun

an opaque white or bluish-white liquid secreted by the mammary glands of female mammals, serving for the nourishment of their young

this liquid as secreted by cows, goats, or certain other animals and used by humans for food or as a source of butter, cheeses, yogurt, etc

any liquid resembling this, as the liquid within a coconut, the juice or sap of certain plants, or various pharmaceutical preparations

4. See cry over spilled milk

transitive verb

to press or draw milk from the udder or breast of

to extract something from as if by milking

to get something from; exploit

The swindler milked her of all her savings

to extract; draw out

He's good at milking laughs from the audience

intransitive verb

to yield milk, as a cow

10.

to milk a cow or other mammal

Derived forms

milkless

adjective

Word origin

[bef. 900; ME; OE meol(o)c, (Anglian) milc; c. G Milch, ON mjōlk, Goth miluks; akin to L mulgēre, Gk amélgein to milk]

Word Frequency

milk in Hospitality

(mɪlk)

noun

(Hospitality (hotel): Food and drink, breakfast)

Milk is the white liquid produced by cows, goats, and some other animals, which people drink and use to make butter, cheese, and yogurt.

COLLOCATIONS: ~ bottle~ cartonpint of ~

I like milk in my coffee.

If a customer asks for coffee, bring milk and sugar.

All children's meals come with a glass of milk or a soft drink.

Examples of 'milk' in a sentence
milk

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Heat the butter and milk until the butter has melted.You may not need all the milk to get the right consistency.Doctors diagnosed a problem with her stomach lining and switched her to soya milk.Medical staff said that she was surviving on juice, milk and tea.Valid for two uses, that is eight pints of milk for free.Add a dash skimmed milk, 2 chopped tomatoes and basil.While the carrots are roasting, beat the goat's cheese and milk together for a few minutes until smooth.Melt the butter in the milk in the potato pan.You are encouraged to eat lots of vegetables while cutting back on milk and cheese.Whose turn will it be to empty the bins and buy the milk?