milk
milk definition
milk (milk)
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
Etymology: 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
transitive verb
- 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
intransitive verb
- to give milk
- to draw milk
adjective
giving milk; kept for milking milk cows
milk Idioms
cry over spilt milk
to mourn or regret something that cannot be undone
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