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Glite Dictionary
milk whey

milk whey

3.5
A thin yellow liquid left after milk is curdled and the solids are removed to make cheese
  • noun
  • /mɪlk weɪ/
translation icon : suero de leche
  • After making cheese, the chef explained that the liquid left over is called milk whey and can be used in various recipes.
  • goat milk whey

Examples

  • I added some milk whey to my smoothie.

  • The chef used milk whey in the recipe.

  • After the curds are removed, milk whey remains as a yellowish liquid.

  • Some athletes add milk whey to their diets for its nutritional value.

  • The cheese factory uses milk whey to produce protein supplements.

  • Some athletes use milk whey as a supplement, believing it helps with muscle recovery after workouts.

  • In the process of cheese production, the leftover milk whey is often recycled to create protein-rich beverages.

Synonyms

whey
vsmilk whey
5 5.3

The watery part of milk left after making cheese

is the liquid remaining after curdling and straining in cheese making
wey
vsmilk whey
  • Archaic
9.9

The watery part of milk left after making butter

is the liquid remaining after curdling and straining in cheese making

Surface Forms

milk whey singular
milk wheys plural

Morphology

milk + whey

The meaning is directly and literally built from the constituents: 'whey' denotes the liquid part of milk and 'milk' simply specifies its source, so 'milk whey' means the whey that comes from milk. This compositional, non-idiomatic relation is predictable and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both words will understand it.

Etymology

The noun milk whey comes from a simple farm image: when you turn milk into cheese, the solid 'curds' are taken out and a thin yellowish liquid called whey is left. That's why milk whey means 'the watery liquid remaining after milk has been curdled and strained'.