dairy

noun

ˈder-ē 

plural dairies

often attributive

1

: milk from a cow or other domestic animal (such as a goat)

also : food (such as ice cream, cheese, or yogurt) made primarily of or from milk

2

: a room, building, or establishment where milk is kept and butter or cheese is made

3

a

: the department of farming or of a farm that is concerned with the production of milk, butter, and cheese

b

: a farm devoted to such production

4

: an establishment for the sale or distribution chiefly of milk and milk products

dairy adjective

dairy products

Examples of dairy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The ban applies to an array of products spanning from alcohol to motorcycles to dairy goods, White House documents show. — Max Zahn, ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026

As Shapiro explains, lactose-free dairy milk technically has the same electrolyte and protein profile as regular milk; the only difference is that the lactose is just broken down into simpler sugars. — Veronica Cristino, Vogue, 29 Sep. 2026

The two countries have long clashed over Canada's attempts to protect its dairy industry from foreign competition by imposing hefty tariffs once dairy imports have exceeded a quota. — CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026

One of two lists from the White House showed that China planned to trim duties on a variety of US agricultural goods including corn, wheat, sorghum, meat, dairy, vegetable oils and meals. — Reuters, NBC news, 28 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English deierie, dayerye, borrowed from Anglo-French deyerie, daerie, from Middle English deie, daie "woman in charge of milking and making butter and cheese" (going back to Old English dǣge "female baker, female servant," going back to Germanic *daigjōn—whence also Old Norse deigja "female servant"— derivative of *daiga- dough) + Anglo-French -erie -ery (after botelerie "wine cellar," paneterie "bread shop, pantry")

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing dairy

• dairy cattle

Rhymes for dairy

• aerie
• airy
• arie
• barre
• cherry
• clary
• eyrie
• faerie
• faery
• fairy
• ferry
• hairy

Kids Definition

dairy

noun

ˈde(ə)r-ē 

da(ə)r-

plural dairies

1

: a place where milk is kept and butter or cheese is made

2

: a farm devoted to the production of milk

3

: a company that sells milk and milk products

4

: milk from a cow or other domestic animal (as a goat)

also : food (as ice cream, cheese, or yogurt) made primarily of or from milk