buttermilk

American  

[buht-er-milk] / ˈbʌt ərˌmɪlk /

noun

1. the more or less acidulous liquid remaining after butter has been separated from milk or cream.

2. a similar liquid made from whole or skim milk with the addition of a bacterial culture.

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buttermilk British  

/ ˈbʌtəˌmɪlk /

noun

1. the sourish liquid remaining after the butter has been separated from milk, often used for making scones and soda bread

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Etymology

Origin of buttermilk

First recorded in 1520–30; butter + milk

Example Sentences

The upgrade here is a quiet one: ricotta and buttermilk.

From Salon • Mar. 31, 2026

Sweet breakfasts have never been my natural habitat—good oatmeal is a beloved, comparatively rare exception, as is a single yeasty, griddled buttermilk diner pancake swimming in syrup.

From Salon • Jan. 29, 2026

The researchers found no association between dementia and consumption of low-fat cheese, low-fat cream, high- or low-fat milk, butter or fermented milk, which includes yogurt, kefir and buttermilk.

From Science Daily • Dec. 21, 2025

Chicken and Dumplings float in a thyme-scented broth enriched with cream; the fluffy buttermilk dumplings melt in your mouth.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 10, 2025

Even though I could imagine biting into fluffy buttermilk pancakes, lightly dusted with powdered sugar and a dribbling of warm maple syrup, my mouth tightened with bitterness.

From "Keep It Together, Keiko Carter" by Debbi Michiko Florence

Related Words

• cream
• half-and-half