yogurt

IPA/ˈjɒɡət/
KK[jˈoɡɚt]IPA/ˈjəʊɡərt/

yogurt — noun

  • yogurtsingular
  • yogurtsplural

1. a thick, slightly sour food that forms when good germs grow in milk; you can eat

1.nounA1
Definition

a thick, slightly sour food that forms when good germs grow in milk; you can eat it alone or with fruit, honey, or sugar.

Example

Mei eats plain yogurt with fresh berries every morning.

uncountable: yogurt as a general food

Arjun grabbed a yogurt from the fridge before heading to work.

countable: a single pot or cup of yogurt

Common collocations
  • plain yogurt
  • Greek yogurt
  • live yogurt
  • frozen yogurt
  • a pot of yogurt
  • a tub of yogurt
  • low-fat yogurt
  • soy yogurt
Synonyms
  • yoghurt

    alternative British spelling of the same word

Usage Note

Uncountable when referring to the food in general ('I like yogurt'); countable when referring to individual containers or servings ('I bought three yogurts'). The countable use is more common in British English than in American English.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Yogurt, kefir, buttermilk, and curd are all dairy products made by fermenting milk, but they differ in production method, texture, and taste. Yogurt is thick and semi-solid, made by fermenting milk with specific bacterial cultures (Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus), which create its characteristic tangy flavor. Kefir is a thinner, drinkable fermented milk made with a more complex starter culture of bacteria and yeasts, giving it a fizzier, more sour taste. Buttermilk is a tangy liquid traditionally left over from churning butter, though modern versions are cultured from low-fat milk. Curd refers to the solid part of milk that separates during coagulation, often used in cheese-making or eaten fresh in South Asian cuisine (paneer). For example: 'She topped her granola with thick Greek yogurt,' but 'He drank a glass of cold kefir after his run.'

yogurt ↗kefirbuttermilkcurd ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • yogurt pot
  • yogurt maker
  • yogurt culture
  • yogurt container

Phrases

  • a spoonful of yogurt
  • a tub of yogurt
  • a pot of yogurt
  • live yogurt
  • plain yogurt

Prepositions

  • with yogurt
  • in yogurt

Etymology

TurkishEnglish

Yogurt comes from the Turkish word 'yoğurt', which is derived from the verb 'yoğurmak' meaning 'to knead' or 'to thicken'. The food has been eaten in Central Asia and the Middle East for thousands of years. The word entered English in the early 17th century, first appearing in travel writings about Turkish cuisine.