au lait

American  

[oh ley, oh le] / oʊ ˈleɪ, oʊ ˈlɛ /

adjective

French Cooking.

1. prepared or served with milk.

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au lait British  

/ əʊ ˈleɪ, o lɛ /

adjective

1. prepared or served with milk

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Etymology

Origin of au lait

< French: literally, with the milk. See lact-

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

au lait

Along with easy access to croissants and café au lait, our heroes have the benefit of not having to wax patriotic about a country in which they no longer live.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2025

Much like how the Big Ten and Pac-12 define the Rose Bowl, the SEC and Big 12 go with the Sugar Bowl like beignets go with a hot cafe au lait.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 28, 2023

Ten fingers, 10 toes, steady breathing, good tone, strong cry, no defects, two small café au lait spots on her thigh—just beauty marks.

From Slate ● Nov. 26, 2023

This month, Quinta Brunson, the star and creator of the hit sitcom “Abbott Elementary,” hosted the Billboard Women in Music awards ceremony wearing a structured Gaurav Gupta design the color of café au lait.

From New York Times ● Mar. 16, 2023

"My family's been in Louisiana for decades and my mother has French blood, believe it or not. My skin might look like coffee-no-cream, but I've got some au lait in here somewhere."

From "You Bring the Distant Near" by Mitali Perkins