milking

Verb

milk (third-person singular simple present milks, present participle milking, simple past and past participle milked)

1. (transitive) To express milk from (a mammal, especially a cow).
   • The farmer milked his cows.
2. (intransitive, transitive) To draw (milk) from the breasts or udder.
   • to milk wholesome milk from healthy cows
3. (intransitive) Of a dairy cow, to produce milk.
   • ‘The boss’s cows must be milking well,’ he said, ‘or has he added to his herd?’1911, ‘Steel Rudd’, The Book of Dan, Brisbane: University of Queensland Press, published 1970, page 62
4. (intransitive, rare, transitive) To secrete (milk) from the breasts or udder.
   • The black cow milking white milk, black hen on the nest laying white eggs.1890, James George Frazer, The Golden Bough, volume 2, page 84
5. (transitive) To express a liquid from a creature.
   • The Australian government has a team that regularly milks various snakes for venom to use creating serums and antivenoms.
6. (figuratively, transitive) To make excessive use of (a particular point in speech or writing, a source of funds, etc.); to exploit; to take advantage of (something).
   • When the audience began laughing, the comedian milked the joke for more laughs.

See all 16 meanings of milk