What does yogourt mean?
Yogourt is a cultured dairy food made by allowing milk to ferment with beneficial bacteria, producing a thick, slightly tangy food that may be eaten plain or combined with fruit, honey, cereals, and other ingredients. The word is principally associated with British spelling, where “yoghurt” is more common, while American English normally uses “yogurt.” “Yogourt” itself is an accepted but comparatively uncommon spelling. Yogourt can refer both to the prepared food as a mass noun and to an individual portion or pot. Its modern popularity is closely connected with the broader cultural reputation of fermented foods, although yoghurt has long been an everyday breakfast and cooking ingredient. The word is also useful for recognizing related spellings and for understanding the history of international culinary vocabulary entering English.
nounA thick, semisolid food made from fermented milk, often sweetened and flavored with fruit or other ingredients.
- A thick, semisolid food produced by fermenting milk with bacterial cultures.
"She served plain yogourt with fresh berries for breakfast."
"I added granola and honey to a bowl of plain yogourt."
"The café offers fruit yogourt, oat yogurt, and soy yogurt."
Normally uncountable when referring to the food in general; plural forms refer to individual containers, portions, or varieties.
"The supermarket sells several yogourts flavored with mango and berries."
One cultured food, three spellings: yogourt, yoghurt, and yogurt—the spelling you choose may reveal where you learned it.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of yogourt
The word comes from Turkish “yoğurt,” a fermented milk food whose name is connected with the Turkish verb “yoğur-,” meaning “to knead” or “to work a mixture.” English borrowed the term during the early 17th century, and it subsequently developed the established spellings “yogurt,” “yoghurt,” and “yogourt.” Its modern cognate forms across European languages reflect the word’s widespread adoption through culinary and commercial exchange with Turkey.
How yogourt is actually used
In British English, “yoghurt” is more usual, although “yogurt” is also common; “yogourt” is an established but less frequent British variant. The unmodified word is commonly understood to mean plain, unsweetened yoghurt.
Easily confused with yogourt
“Yogurt” is the standard American spelling of the same food, whereas “yogourt” is chiefly a British spelling variant.
“Yoghurt” is the most common British spelling; “yogourt” is a less common alternative with the same meaning.