What does yoghurt mean?
Yoghurt is a semisolid dairy product made by allowing live bacterial cultures to ferment milk. The process gives the milk a characteristic sour or tangy flavour and a texture ranging from pourable cream to a thick set. Yoghurt is eaten plain, flavoured with fruit and other ingredients, or used in sauces, dressings, snacks, and desserts; it is also often described as a source of probiotics. The word is especially associated with everyday food and health-conscious eating, although its uses range from simple breakfast foods to sophisticated culinary ingredients. In British English and much of the wider English-speaking world, yoghurt is the usual spelling, while American English normally uses yogurt. The word entered English from Turkish and reflects a long-standing tradition of deliberately fermenting milk to preserve it and alter its flavour.
nounA thick or semisolid food made by fermenting milk with live bacterial cultures. It may be eaten plain or flavoured and may be used in sauces, dressings, and desserts.
- A semisolid dairy product made by fermenting milk with live bacterial cultures.
"She topped the baked potatoes with yoghurt and fresh herbs."
"We shared a bowl of strawberries and yoghurt after lunch."
"The recipe calls for natural yoghurt, which can be whisked into the sauce."
The usual plural adds -s to the noun.
"The café offers individual pots of yoghurts in several flavours."
Yoghurt began as a way of preserving milk: controlled bacterial fermentation turned fresh milk into a food that could keep longer and travel further.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of yoghurt
The word comes from Turkish yoğurt, a fermented dairy product made from milk. Turkish yoğurt is related to the verb yoğur-, meaning “to knead” or “to mix,” an association that developed through the processes of thickening and curdling milk. The English word entered use through Turkish and was adopted with different spellings, including yoghurt and yogurt.
How yoghurt is actually used
The spelling yoghurt is standard in British English and many other varieties of English, whereas yogurt is the usual spelling in American English. In both varieties, the word generally denotes the cultured dairy product rather than the individual bacteria used to make it.
Easily confused with yoghurt
Yoghurt and yogurt are spelling variants of the same word; yoghurt is standard in British English, while yogurt is standard in American English.