dairy

[ dair-ee ]

/ ˈdɛər i /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR dairy ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural dair·ies for 1–4.

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

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

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

dairy farm.

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.

(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

of or relating to a dairy or a dairy farm.

relating to or for milk, cream, butter, cheese, etc.: dairy products; the dairy case at a supermarket.

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

RELATED WORDS

farm, buttery, factory, creamery

Nearby words

daimyo, daimyo bond, dainty, daiquiri, dairen, dairy, dairy breed, dairy cattle, dairy factory, dairy farm, dairyer

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

Can be confused

dairy diary

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for dairy

A few weeks after returning from England, I was trolling the dairy section and came across the Cotswold Double Gloucester.
Biking With the Bard|Kara Cutruzzula|December 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Like Lent, the season of Advent was a period of reflection and fasting, and items such as dairy and sugar were forbidden.
One Cake to Rule Them All: How Stollen Stole Our Hearts|Molly Hannon|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Mixing meat and dairy is a kosher rule-breaker, so they switched the cheese for potatoes.
I Ate Potato Pancakes Til I Plotzed|Emily Shire|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“I had no sugars, no dairy, I had no carbs,” James announced with pride.
2014 NBA Preview: Skinny LeBron and the Racist Ghost of Donald Sterling|Robert Silverman|October 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The inability to refrigerate has meant the end of perishables in Mosul such as meat and dairy.
ISIS Robs Christians Fleeing Its Edict in Mosul: Convert, Leave, or Die|Andrew Slater|July 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In dairy work the individual preferences of the cows are given attention and their whimsy catered to by the herdsman.
The Dollar Hen|Milo M. Hastings
The mortgage they had to work off was a stump; but faith and Luclarion's dairy did it.
Real Folks|Mrs. A. D. T. Whitney
This condition is of the utmost importance in the destruction of bacteria in the dairy and creamery.
Outlines of dairy bacteriology|H. L. Russell
Mittens ran away to the dairy, and hid in an empty jar on the stone shelf where the milk pans stand.
The Tale of Samuel Whiskers|Beatrix Potter
They should also have the wash of the house and the dairy, to which add meal, and sour in large tubs or barrels.
Domestic Animals|Richard L. Allen

British Dictionary definitions for dairy

dairy

/ (ˈdɛərɪ) /

noun plural dairies

a company that supplies milk and milk products

a shop that sells provisions, esp milk and milk products
NZ a shop that remains open outside normal trading hours

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

(modifier) of or relating to the production of milk and milk productsdairy cattle
(in combination)a dairymaid; a dairyman

food containing milk or milk productsshe can't eat dairy
(as modifier)dairy produce

Word Origin for dairy

C13 daierie, from Old English dǣge servant girl, one who kneads bread; see dough, lady

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012