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Added 9 October 2026

whey

/hweɪ/ noun

In Latin: serum Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about whey at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

The liquid remaining after milk has been curdled and strained in the process of making cheese.

interjection

A shout for attention
A shout of enthusiasm or delight
Shouted when someone drops a glass or other crockery, especially in a pub.

Origin

From Middle English whey, wheye, whei, from Old English hwǣġ, hwæiġ, hwæġ, hweġ (“whey”), from Proto-West Germanic *hwaij (“whey”) (cognate with Saterland Frisian Waai, Woaie, West Frisian waai, Dutch wei, Low German Wei, German Low German Wei), perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *kʷey- (“to pile up, build”) (compare Old Church Slavonic чинъ (činŭ, “order”), Ancient Greek ποιέω (poiéō, “to pile up, make”), Sanskrit कय (káya, “every one”)).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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