milkman

IPA/ˈmɪlkmən/
KK[mˈɪlkmˌæn]IPA/ˈmɪlkmən/

milkman — noun

  • milkmansingular
  • milkmenplural

1. A man who brings fresh milk to people's homes, usually very early in the morning

1.nounB1
Definition

A man who brings fresh milk to people's homes, usually very early in the morning before most people wake up.

Example

Each morning at five, Yusuf the milkman leaves milk at every doorstep.

collocation: milkman + leaves at doorstep

The milkman's quiet truck rolls through the streets before dawn.

possessive: the milkman's [vehicle]

Common collocations
  • milkman + leaves / delivers / brings / drops off
  • the milkman's + round / route / float / truck / van / bottle
Synonyms
  • dairyman

    older term that more commonly refers to someone who works on a dairy farm or runs a dairy business, rather than a home delivery person

  • milk deliverer

    modern gender-neutral alternative; less common in everyday speech

  • milk vendor

    more formal, often describes someone who sells milk at a market rather than delivers it

Grammar Patterns

a milkman

the milkman

the milkman's [noun]

Usage Note

Frequently used with possessive forms (the milkman's round, the milkman's float). Especially associated with British English and a traditional home-delivery system that has become less common in many areas.

Common Mistakes

The milkman delivers newspapers every morning.
The milkman delivers milk every morning.
a milkman's job is specifically to deliver milk and dairy products, not other goods.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Milkman is the most common everyday term for someone who delivers fresh milk to homes, especially in British English. Dairyman is an older word that usually describes a person who owns or works on a dairy farm — someone who produces milk rather than delivering it. Milk deliverer is a modern, gender-neutral expression that can be used in formal job descriptions, but it sounds less natural in casual conversation. Milk vendor is more formal still, often referring to someone who sells milk at a stall or market rather than delivering door-to-door. If you are telling a story about a person bringing milk bottles to houses early in the morning, milkman is the natural choice: 'The milkman came at six and left two pints on the step.' The other terms would sound odd in that context.

dairyman ↗milk deliverermilk vendor

Common collocations

Nouns

  • milkman's round
  • milkman's float
  • milkman's route
  • milkman's truck

Phrases

  • milkman does his rounds
  • milkman delivers milk
  • milkman calls at the house

Prepositions

  • milkman for [area/district]
  • milkman to [street/house]

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

Milkman is a compound word formed from 'milk' (from Old English meolc, of Germanic origin) and 'man' (from Old English mann, meaning a human being or adult male). It first appeared in English during the 1500s, when it referred to a person who sold milk from a dairy. Over time its meaning narrowed to someone who delivers milk to homes.