dairy

American  

[dair-ee] / ˈdɛər i /

noun

• dairies
  plural

1. an establishment, as a room, building, or buildings, where milk and cream are kept and butter and cheese are made.

2. a shop or company that sells milk, butter, etc.

3. the business of a dairy farm, concerned with the production and treatment of milk and cream and the manufacture of butter and cheese.

4. dairy farm.

5. milk, or products made from or containing milk; dairy products, as butter and cheese.

   He avoids red meat, processed foods, and dairy in his diet.

6. (in Jewish dietary law) foods, including all milk products, eggs, fish, vegetables, etc., that may be eaten at a meal in which milk is served, in contrast to meat and meat products, which may not.

---

adjective

1. of or relating to a dairy or a dairy farm.

2. relating to or for milk, cream, butter, cheese, etc..

   dairy products; the dairy case at a supermarket.

3. (in Jewish dietary law) of or relating to dairy, in contrast to meat and meat products.

dairy British  

/ ˈdɛərɪ /

noun

1. a company that supplies milk and milk products

2. 1. a shop that sells provisions, esp milk and milk products

   2. a shop that remains open outside normal trading hours

3. a room or building where milk and cream are stored or made into butter and cheese

4. 1. (modifier) of or relating to the production of milk and milk products

      dairy cattle

   2. ( in combination )

      a dairymaid

      a dairyman

5. 1. food containing milk or milk products

      she can't eat dairy

   2. ( as modifier )

      dairy produce

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• dairies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of dairy

1250–1300; Middle English daierie, equivalent to daie, deie dairymaid ( Old English dǣge bread maker; cognate with Old Norse deigja; see lady) + -erie -ery

Explanation

A dairy is a farm that specializes in milk and products made from milk. Cheese, yogurt, cream, and ice cream are all things that might be produced at a dairy. While one kind of dairy is a farm where cows or goats are kept and milked, other dairies focus only on making products from milk that farmers sell to them. These items themselves can also be called dairy products. Dairy comes from the Middle English daie, "dairy," which is rooted in the Old English dæge, "kneader of bread," or "female servant."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

dairy dairies

The U.S. imposed this new tariff, it said, because of alleged Canadian mistreatment of U.S. automobiles, wines and spirits, and dairy products.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

I tend to leave dairy, delicate herbs and most cooked grains out of these packs; their texture can go a little strange or mealy in the freezer.

From Salon ● Aug. 25, 2026

For now, Carney's planned Canadian retaliatory duties are strategic "dollar-for-dollar" countermeasures focused on steel, dairy, appliances, agricultural equipment, electronics, pulp and paper - though the list is still being finalised.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

The White House had alleged "discriminatory treatment" by Canada against US alcohol, automobile and dairy products in rolling out the 50-percent tariffs.

From Barron's ● Aug. 24, 2026

“I don’t know. Maybe I’ll try breeding her in a few months. Maybe she’ll give me a dairy cow. We sure haven’t been lucky lately. Both Butter and Sophie gave us bulls.”

From "Gone Crazy in Alabama" by Rita Williams-Garcia

McAfee said the 2006 outbreak opened his eyes to the risk of his product and was part of the reason he developed standards for unpasteurized dairies.

From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026

Small dairies say they are already having problems sourcing sheep's milk, which could mean possible shortages of feta going forward.

From BBC ● Nov. 30, 2025

The family with the sick cats, he learned, lived less than a mile from an infected dairy, and the cat owner worked delivering hay to local dairies, spending time on infected farms.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2025

His great-grandfather emigrated from Ireland and worked on the dairies.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 21, 2025

This is collected into lumps, well beat and squeezed free from the milk, and in some dairies is washed with pure cold water as long as the water is rendered milky.

From Domestic Animals History and description of the horse, mule, cattle, sheep, swine, poultry and farm dogs; with directions for their management, breeding, crossing, rearing, feeding, and preparation for a profitable market; also their diseases and remedies. Together with full directions for the management of the dairy. by Richard L. Allen

Related Words

• dairy farm