noun
whey
hway
noun
1
The watery liquid left over after milk is curdled and strained during cheesemaking.
"The cheesemaker drained the whey before pressing the curds into a mold."
"Whey protein powder is made by drying this leftover liquid."
How to Use Whey
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe liquid left over when milk separates into solid curds and liquid during cheese making.
Common pairings
whey protein
curds and whey
Word Forms
wheys plural
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The cheesemaker drained the _____ before pressing the curds into a mold.
Etymology
From Old English hwæg, of West Germanic origin, related to Dutch wei — the word has referred to this milky by-product since before written English records.