ETYM AS. hwaeg; cf. Dutch wei, hui, Fries. weye, LG. wey, waje.
(Homonym: way, weigh).
1. The serum or watery part of milk that is separated from the curd in making cheese; SYN. milk whey.
2. Watery part of milk produced when raw milk sours and coagulates.
Off-white.
Watery by-product of the cheesemaking process, which is drained off after the milk has been heated and rennet (a curdling agent) added to induce its coagulation.
In Scandinavia, especially Norway, whey is turned into cheese, mysost and (from goat’s whey) gjetost. The flavor of whey cheese is sweet from added brown sugar and is an acquired taste.