I. ˈmilk, ˈmiu̇k noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English milc, meolc, meoluc; akin to Old High German miluh milk, Old Norse mjolk, Gothic miluks; all from a prehistoric Germanic noun probably influenced by the prehistoric Germanic verb represented by Old English melcan to milk but itself probably akin to Greek galakt-, gala milk; Old English melcan to milk akin to Old High German melchan, Latin mulgēre, Greek amelgein to milk, Sanskrit mṛjati he wipes, strokes — more at galaxy
1. : a white or yellowish fluid secreted by the mammary glands of female mammals for the nourishment of their young and holding in suspension fat, protein, sugar, and inorganic salts in varying proportions
2.
a. : something that is mild or bland
this drink goes down like milk
the new general, lanky and amiable, seemed a man of milk — A.J.Liebling
b. : something that suggests the relation of mother and child
thy nature … too full of the milk of human kindness — Shakespeare
c. : something that suggests an abundance of goodness or blessings
a land flowing with milk and honey — Josh 5:6 (Revised Standard Version)
drunk the milk of Paradise — S.T.Coleridge
3. : a liquid like milk in appearance: as
a. : the latex of a plant
b. : the juice of the coconut
c. : the contents of an unripe kernel of grain
d. : the ripe undischarged spat of an oyster
e. : milt
f. : an emulsion made by bruising seeds
g. : a suspension of starch or other white powder in water
•
- in milk
- in the milk
II. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English milken, melken, from Old English milcian, meolcian, from milc, meolc, meoluc, n.
transitive verb
1. : to press or draw milk from the breasts or udder of by the hand or by a mechanical device : withdraw the milk of
2. : to draw (milk) from the breast or udder
milk wholesome milk from healthy cows
3.
a. obsolete : to suck milk from the breast
love the babe that milks me — Shakespeare
b. : suckle — now used only of animals
ewe unable to milk her lamb
4. : to draw something from as if by milking: as
a. : to compel or persuade to yield profit or advantage illicitly or to an unreasonable degree
lawyers milking an estate
: exploit , bleed
milk an enterprise
comedian milking a joke for the last possible laugh
milk a scene
b. : to draw out (as information) : elicit
milk news from a source of information
c. : to draw venom from (a snake) by inducing to strike
d. : to draw (sap, turpentine) from a tree
5. : to handle or manipulate in a manner like that of drawing milk from a teat
milk blood along the tube in a blood transfusion
nervously milking the fringe of the tablecloth
6. : to put milk into
cans of tea, already milked and sugared — Flora Thompson
7. : to shuffle (cards) by drawing one from the top and one from the bottom simultaneously allowing them to fall on the table face down
intransitive verb
1. : to draw or yield milk
return in time for milking
when a cow is milking heavily
2. : to become cloudy or foggy — used with up
weather began to milk up
III. adjective
Etymology: milk (I)
1. : of, from, or made with milk
milk chowder
: producing or dealing with milk
milk route
2. : milk-fed
milk animal