whey

[hwey, wey]

noun

1. a milk serum, separating as liquid from the curd after coagulation, as in cheesemaking.

whey

/ weɪ /

noun

1. the watery liquid that separates from the curd when the milk is clotted, as in making cheese

Other Word Forms

• wheylike adjective
• wheyey adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of whey¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English whei(e), whai(e), wei, Old English hwæg, hwæig, hwǣg, hweg; cognate with Dutch, Low German wei

Word History and Origins

Origin of whey¹

Old English hwǣg; related to Middle Low German wei, heie, Dutch hui

Example Sentences

The brand is best known for making specialty whey butter, which uses the cream that is separated from whey to produce a “mild, nutty, cheesy and richer, fuller flavor” butter, per its official website.

From Salon

The health and beauty firm behind the Myprotein brand has said its profits will fall by £13m because of the high price of key ingredient whey.

From BBC

He adds: "When I started my career, people used to talk about whey protein just as a supplement to your diet. Now the number of companies putting protein on anything and everything is insane."

From BBC

But whey remains one of the largest sources of food loss and waste in Australia's large dairy sector.

From Salon

Rennet, an enzyme naturally present in the stomachs of ruminants, would prompt the milk to coagulate, separating into curds and whey, thus laying the groundwork for modern cheese production.

From Salon