whey

noun \ˈhwā, ˈwā\

: the watery part of milk that forms after the milk becomes thick and sour

Full Definition of WHEY

: the watery part of milk that is separated from the coagulable part or curd especially in the process of making cheese and that is rich in lactose, minerals, and vitamins and contains lactalbumin and traces of fat

— whey·like \-ˌlīk\ adjective

See whey defined for English-language learners

See whey defined for kids

Origin of WHEY

Middle English, from Old English hwæg; akin to Middle Dutch wey whey

First Known Use: before 12th century

Rhymes with WHEY

a, ae, bay, bey, blae, brae, bray, chez, clay, Cray, day, dey, dray, eh, fay, fey, flay, fley, frae, fray, Frey, gay, Gay, gey, gley, gray, hay, he, hey, Hue, j, jay, Jay, k, kay, Kay, lay, lei, may, nay, né, née, neigh, Ney, pay, pe, play, pray, prey, qua, quai, quay, Rae, ray, re, say, shay, slay, sleigh, spae, spay, Spey, splay, spray, stay, stray, sway, Tay, they, tray, trey, way, weigh, yea

WHEYLIKE Defined for Kids

whey

noun \ˈhwā, ˈwā\

Definition of WHEY for Kids

: the watery part that separates from the curd after milk sours and thickens

Medical Dictionary

whey

noun \ˈhwā, ˈwā\

Medical Definition of WHEY

: the serum or watery part of milk that is separated from the coagulable part or curd especially in the process of making cheese and that is rich in lactose, minerals, and vitamins and contains lactalbumin and traces of fat