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.

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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

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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

A new study suggests that the trans fats naturally present in dairy foods, including milk, butter, and cheese, do not increase the risk of heart disease or type 2 diabetes.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 8, 2026

Her family raise dairy cows west of Chippenham, selling their milk to a major supermarket.

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026

Ditto manufacturers of petrochemicals and even dairy farmers since cows emit methane.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

Amino acids are the building blocks used to make proteins, and leucine is especially abundant in protein rich foods such as dairy products, meat, beans, and lentils.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 3, 2026

“But, Dad,” I said, “Doritos have dairy in them.”

From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas

It has invested around €51 million to boost skyr capacity in its German, Swedish and Danish dairies since 2023.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026

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

Rasmussen said the multiple payments most likely stemmed depending on specific circumstances at the dairies involved.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2025

If I drank all the dairies in London dry, I shouldn’t get such milk and roses on my cheeks.”

From Only One Love, or Who Was the Heir by Charles Garvice

Related Words

• dairy farm