dairy
gb/dˈɛɹi/ us/dˈɛɹi/
A2
English
~ 6900
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
entity
1
foods made from milk
Milk and foods made from milk, like cheese, butter, and yogurt.
Usage pattern:
to eat/avoid/cut out [dairy]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse the spelling and meaning of 'dairy' (milk products) with 'diary' (a personal notebook). Another mistake is using it as a countable noun (*'two dairies' meaning 'two yogurts'); for this sense it is usually uncountable, or used in the phrase 'dairy products'.
Synonyms
milk products (More explicit and slightly more formal; often used in technical or nutritional contexts.)
|
dairy products (Very common fixed phrase that lists the products more clearly than just 'dairy'.)
Antonyms
non-dairy (Describes foods that do not contain any milk or milk products.)
Collocations
eat dairy
|avoid dairy
|cut out dairy
|dairy allergy
|dairy consumption
|dairy foods
Themes
food
|health
|daily life
|food_drink
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She gave up dairy because it upsets her stomach.
- Many people with lactose intolerance still eat some dairy.
- The recipe can be made with or without dairy.
- They sell plant-based versions of most traditional dairy.
- I try to limit dairy in my diet for health reasons.
Learner examples
- I don't eat dairy because I am allergic to milk.
- He loves dairy, especially cheese and ice cream.
- This cake has no dairy, so it is safe for vegans.
- Some people cannot drink milk or eat dairy.
- You can replace dairy with soy milk in this soup.
adjective
A2
property
2
related to milk or its products
About milk, foods from milk, or the work of making and selling them.
Usage pattern:
[dairy] [noun]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use 'dairy' alone as an adjective when they mean 'dairy-free' (e.g. *'I need a dairy diet' when they mean a diet without dairy). Also, some use 'dairy' where 'milk' is more natural (e.g. *'I poured dairy into my coffee' instead of 'milk').
Synonyms
milk-based (Focuses more on food that actually contains milk, less on the industry or business.)
Antonyms
dairy-free (Describes foods or diets that contain no milk or milk products.)
Collocations
dairy products
|dairy cows
|dairy farmer
|dairy industry
|dairy allergy
|dairy company
Themes
food
|farming
|business
|food_drink
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She works in the dairy industry as a quality inspector.
- Dairy cows are specially bred to produce a lot of milk.
- The government introduced new rules for dairy farmers.
- They offer many dairy alternatives, such as oat and almond drinks.
- He follows a dairy diet that is low in fat.
Learner examples
- Yogurt and cheese are dairy products.
- My uncle is a dairy farmer.
- The dairy industry is very important in this country.
- Dairy cows live on the farm behind our house.
- She buys dairy milk, not plant milk.
Noun
B1
entity
3
farm or business for milk
A place or business where people keep cows for milk, or make and sell milk products.
Usage pattern:
to work at/in a [dairy]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this with sense #1 and say things like *'I ate a dairy' when they mean they ate dairy products. In this sense, 'a dairy' is a place or business, not the food itself.
Synonyms
dairy farm (More specific to the farm where cows are kept, not the processing factory or company.)
|
creamery (Often used for a place where milk is processed into products like butter and cheese; somewhat regional or old-fashioned in some areas.)
Antonyms
crop farm (A farm that grows plants rather than keeping animals for milk production.)
Collocations
large dairy
|family dairy
|local dairy
|own a dairy
|work at a dairy
|dairy cooperative
Themes
farming
|business
|food
|food_drink
|work
Examples
- Her grandparents ran a small dairy in the countryside.
- He got a summer job at the local dairy, packing cheese.
- The town grew up around a large dairy that opened in the 1950s.
- The dairy closed after milk prices fell sharply.
- They supply milk from their dairy to several nearby schools.
Learner examples
- My cousin works at a dairy near the village.
- The dairy keeps many cows for milk.
- This cheese comes from a family dairy.
- The town has a big dairy that sells milk and butter.
- Her father owns a dairy and a small shop.
Noun
B1
entity
4
supermarket section for milk products
The area in a supermarket where you find milk, cheese, butter, and similar foods.
Usage pattern:
in the [dairy] / go to the [dairy]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think 'dairy' always means the food, not realizing it can also mean the place in a store. In many languages this is expressed with a word like 'section' or 'department', which may cause confusion.
Synonyms
dairy section (Slightly longer but more explicit; very common in store signage and announcements.)
Antonyms
produce section (A different major part of a supermarket, often contrasted with refrigerated or packaged sections.)
Collocations
dairy aisle
|dairy section
|frozen and dairy
|produce and dairy
|head to the dairy
|over by the dairy
Themes
shopping
|food
|daily life
|food_drink
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- You’ll find the yogurt in the dairy at the back of the store.
- He walked past the dairy to get to the frozen foods.
- The dairy was almost empty because of the holiday rush.
- She works in the dairy, restocking milk and cheese.
- Plant-based milks are now placed next to cow’s milk in the dairy.
Learner examples
- The milk is in the dairy at the back.
- Please get some butter from the dairy.
- She works in the dairy at the supermarket.
- The cheese is not here; look in the dairy.
- We stopped in the dairy to buy yogurt.
Noun
C1
entity
5
small local shop (New Zealand)
In New Zealand, a small shop near houses that sells milk, snacks, and other simple things.
Usage pattern:
go to the [dairy]
Common mistake:
Outside New Zealand, learners may not recognize this regional use and may misunderstand sentences like 'I’m going to the dairy.' They might also assume it always refers to a place connected only to milk, not a general small shop.
Synonyms
corner shop (Similar type of small local shop, but this term is more common in British English than specifically New Zealand English.)
|
convenience store (Broader and more international term; can describe similar stores in many countries, not only New Zealand.)
Antonyms
supermarket (A much larger store with a wide range of goods, in contrast to a small neighbourhood dairy.)
Collocations
local dairy
|corner dairy
|dairy owner
|walk down to the dairy
|buy something from the dairy
|neighbourhood dairy
Themes
shopping
|daily life
|regional
|daily_life
|food_drink
|travel
Examples
- On the way home, we stopped at the dairy for ice creams.
- She works evenings at the dairy on the corner.
- The local dairy was robbed late last night.
- Kids often go to the dairy after school to buy snacks.
- There’s a dairy just across the road if you need milk.
Learner examples
- In New Zealand, many people buy milk at the dairy.
- The dairy near my house opens very early.
- He got a job at the dairy on our street.
- We walked to the dairy to buy some bread.
- There is a small dairy next to the bus stop.
Grammar
Dictionary form
dairy
IPA
GB/dˈɛɹi/
US/dˈɛɹi/
Syllables & stress
dairy (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (dairy)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: dairy
- Plural: dairies
Word family
Forms
dairies
noun
Negative and opposite forms
non-dairy
adjective
dairy-free
adjective
Advanced or less common
dairying
noun
Expressions
dairy aisle
1/dˈɛɹi ˈaɪl/
fixed phrase
supermarket aisle for milk products
The row or area in a supermarket where milk and foods from milk are on the shelves or in fridges.
Examples
- You’ll find the butter in the dairy aisle.
- The dairy aisle was crowded before the holiday weekend.
- They moved the plant-based drinks into the dairy aisle.
dairy farm
1/dˈɛɹi fˈɑɹm/
fixed phrase
farm that produces milk
A farm where people keep cows or other animals to get milk and sell it.
Examples
- He grew up on a small dairy farm in the countryside.
- The dairy farm supplies milk to several local schools.
- Modern dairy farms often use machines to milk the cows.
dairy farmer
1/dˈɛɹi fˈɑɹmɚ/
fixed phrase
person who runs a dairy farm
A person who owns or works on a dairy farm and produces milk.
Examples
- Her father is a dairy farmer with over two hundred cows.
- Dairy farmers are worried about low milk prices.
- The government met with dairy farmers to discuss new regulations.
dairy industry
1/dˈɛɹi ˈɪndəstɹi/
fixed phrase
milk production business sector
All the companies and farms that make and sell milk and foods from milk.
Examples
- The dairy industry is facing pressure to reduce its environmental impact.
- New technology is changing the dairy industry worldwide.
- Exports are an important part of the country’s dairy industry.
dairy products
1/dˈɛɹi pɹˈɑdʌkts/
fixed phrase
foods made from milk
Foods that are made from milk, like cheese, butter, yogurt, and cream.
Examples
- She avoids all dairy products because of her allergy.
- Dairy products are a major source of calcium in many diets.
- The doctor told him to cut down on fatty dairy products.
dairy-free
1/dˈɛɹi fɹˈi/
fixed phrase
containing no milk products
Not having any milk or foods made from milk.
Examples
- They served a dairy-free cake for guests with allergies.
- I’m looking for a dairy-free cheese alternative.
- This restaurant has many dairy-free options on the menu.
non-dairy
1/nˈɑn dˈɛɹi/
fixed phrase
made without milk
Made without milk or foods from milk, even if it looks or tastes creamy.
Examples
- She prefers non-dairy milk like soy or oat milk.
- The dessert menu clearly marks non-dairy choices.
- He bought non-dairy ice cream for his lactose-intolerant friend.