Dictionary.com

kefir

[ kuh-feer ]
/ kəˈfɪər /

Middle Eastern Cooking.

a tart-tasting drink originally of the Caucasus, made from cow's or sometimes goat's milk to which the bacteria Streptococcus and Lactobacillus have been added.

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Origin of kefir

First recorded in 1880–85; from Russian kefír, apparently from a Caucasian language; compare Ossetic kʾæpy, kʾæpu “kefir,” Mingrelian kipuri “milk curdled in an animal skin”

Words nearby kefir

Keewatin, kef, Kefallonia, Kefauver, keffiyeh, kefir, Keflavík, Keflex, keftedes, keg, Kegel exercise
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for kefir

  • In koumiss and kefir the curd is very finely divided and will remain in suspension for a long time as with butter milk.

    Outlines of dairy bacteriology|H. L. Russell

  • Several alcoholic drinks made from milk, such as kefir and koumiss, have been originated among the nomadic tribes of Western Asia.

    Outlines of dairy bacteriology|H. L. Russell

  • Koumiss is made in Russia from mare's milk and has much the same composition as kefir.

    Outlines of dairy bacteriology|H. L. Russell