milk
Pluralmilks (some meanings)
Pluralmilks (some meanings)
- 1A white drink that comes from cows and other animals to feed their babies.
Like the warm drink a baby calf gets from its mother.
The farmer poured fresh milk into a tall metal can.
Most children drink a glass of milk with breakfast.
UsageSay some milk or a glass of milk.
Note
- 2A white liquid made from plants such as almonds, oats, rice, or soybeans.
The café offers milk made from oats for customers avoiding dairy.
Blended from soaked almonds and water, this milk has a nutty flavor.
UsageSay oat milk or soy milk.
Note
- 3To get milk from a cow or other animal, or to take another liquid such as venom from an animal.
Like squeezing a soft tube to push out what is inside.
Every morning the farmer milks his cows before dawn.
They milk the goats twice a day on the small farm.
Note
- 4A glass, carton, or small cup of milk, for drinking or for putting in tea or coffee.
The teacher handed each child a milk at snack time.
He ordered a milk and a sandwich at the counter.
Less common meanings
- 5To get as much as possible out of something, often unfairly.
Like squeezing a sponge until the last drop comes out.
The comedian milked the joke until the whole crowd groaned.
Politicians often milk a scandal for every vote it can bring.
UsageOften used with for, as in milk a joke for laughs, or milk it.
Similarexploit, squeeze, bleed, drain
Note
- 6To make and let out milk from a breast or udder.
A young cow that milks well gives a lot of milk every day.
The black cow milking white milk, black hen on the nest laying white eggs.
1890, James George Frazer, The Golden BoughHere, milking means giving milk, so the cow gives white milk.Similarlactate
Note
- 7
- 8To bring a man to climax by hand, mainly for the pleasure of the person doing it.
- 9The ripe young or spawn still inside an oyster, before it is released.
- 10To give off tiny gas bubbles near the end of charging a battery.
Showing meanings only.
Practice
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Origins
This word comes from Old English 'meolc' and goes back to an ancient Proto-Indo-European root. It is related to German 'Milch' and Dutch 'melk'.
Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts
- Milk comes from Old English meolc. en.wiktionary.org
- The word ultimately derives from a Proto-Indo-European root. en.wiktionary.org
- Milk is related to German Milch and Dutch melk. en.wikisource.org
The verb comes from Old English 'melcan', from the same ancient root as the noun 'milk'. It is related to German and Dutch 'melken'.
Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts
- The verb milk derives from Old English melcan. en.wiktionary.org
- The verb and noun milk share the same ancient root. en.wiktionary.org
- The verb milk is related to German and Dutch melken. en.wiktionary.org