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coconut milk

American  
[koh-kuh-nuht milk] / ˈkoʊ kə nət ˌmɪlk /

noun

  1. the clear, potable liquid contained within the young hollow seed of the coconut palm.

  2. the milky, potable but highly perishable liquid contained within the mature hollow coconut.

  3. the milky, potable liquid extracted from grated coconut meat by infusion with boiling water.


Etymology

Origin of coconut milk

First recorded in 1690–1700

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Inspired by traditional Indian cooking and Southeast Asian flavors, this Food52 recipe bathes and simmers sautéed heads of romaine in a delicious mixture of gingery coconut milk, fresh lime juice and fish sauce.

From Salon Jul. 25, 2026

Announced last week in a post on Instagram, the drink was described as a “clarified tonic” with coconut water, jasmine tea, raw honey, holy basil, anise hyssop, green cardamom, white grape juice and coconut milk.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 11, 2026

It’s just a strawberry smoothie with coconut milk and something else.

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 1, 2026

Reduce the time to 5 minutes if you’re using coconut milk.

From Salon Jan. 10, 2026

Oversized cooking pots sat empty on unlit stoves, ready for the process of turning coconut milk into oil the next day.

From "The Boy Who Met a Whale" by Nizrana Farook

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