noun
milk
mihlk
noun
1
A white liquid produced by female mammals to feed their young, especially cow's milk used as a food and drink for humans.
"She poured milk over her cereal."
"The recipe calls for a cup of milk."
2
A milky white liquid made from a plant source, used as a dairy substitute.
"He switched to oat milk after going vegan."
verb
1
To draw milk from an animal, especially a cow.
"The farmer milks the cows twice a day."
2
To exploit a situation or person for as much benefit as possible.
"The company milked the scandal for free publicity."
"He milked his injury for extra sympathy."
How to Use Milk
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe white drink from cows (or plants), or, as a verb, to draw milk from an animal — or figuratively, to squeeze as much benefit as possible out of something.
Common pairings
milk a cow
milk it for all it's worth
skimmed milk
plant-based milk
Word Forms
milked past tense, milks plural, Milks plural, milks singular
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Etymology
From Old English meolc, going back to a very old Germanic and Indo-European root meaning "to milk."