coconut milk
English
Noun
Coconut milk.
coconut milk (usually uncountable, plural coconut milks)
- A thick white liquid produced by soaking the white inner flesh of the seed of the coconut in water and straining. It is traditionally used in Southeast Asian cuisine in curry and other gravy.
Usage notes
- Coconut milk is a distinct product from coconut water (sometimes called "coconut juice"), though in common parlance the two are often confused.
- Like other plant milk, strictly speaking coconut “milk” is a misnomer, as it is not produced by lactation, though it has a milky (opaque, white) consistency. However, not only has this "misnomer" been in use in English since circa 1200 AD[1], but using the same logic, terms like peanut butter, coconut cream, hot dog, artichoke heart, and chicken drumstick would also be classified as misnomers.
Coordinate terms
- coconut water
- coconut cream
- almond milk
- hazelnut milk
- hemp milk
- oat milk
- peanut milk
- rice milk
- soy milk
Translations
the liquid from inside the seed of the coconut
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References
- Douglas Harper (2001–2023), “milk”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.