whey

American  

[hwey, wey] / ʰweɪ, weɪ /

noun

1. a milk serum, separating as liquid from the curd after coagulation, as in cheesemaking.

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whey British  

/ weɪ /

noun

1. the watery liquid that separates from the curd when the milk is clotted, as in making cheese

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• wheyey
  adjective
• wheylike
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of whey

First recorded before 900; Middle English whei(e), whai(e), wei, Old English hwæg, hwæig, hwǣg, hweg; cognate with Dutch, Low German wei

Explanation

Whey is what's left over after you've made cheese by straining curds. Rather than being thrown away, whey is often used to add buttery flavor or extra protein to processed foods. You may know the word whey from the nursery rhyme that begins "Little Miss Muffet sat on her tuffet eating her curds and whey..." Curds and whey are part of the cheese-making process, with whey being the slightly sour leftover liquid. Think buttermilk or thin yogurt, and you've got an idea of what whey tastes like. It's actually a great source of protein and often shows up in healthy smoothies and shakes.

Example Sentences

If you a journey have to go, And they make no delay, ’Tis ten to one you’re serv’d like curds, They spill you on the WHEY.

From Punch, or the London Charivari. Volume 1, July 31, 1841 by Various