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

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

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

In this class, Boris will demonstrate how to transform flour, butter and yeast into rich, buttery dough perfect for making Parisian brioche and pains au lait.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 20, 2022

She had just woken up and was having her breakfast: a croissant and café au lait delivered from downstairs.

From "Auggie & Me" by R. J. Palacio