Spanish Conversation · Level 40
75 words
Spanish word
ordeñar
Pronunciation
IPA/oɾðeˈɲaɾ/
Meaning
- verbmilk
Example
En la granja, yo ordeño las vacas cada mañana.
On the farm, I milk the cows every morning.
More examples
En algunas granjas pequeñas todavía se ordeña a mano.
On some small farms people still milk by hand.
Core concept
Hand milking a goat into a pail.
Common phrases
ordeñar a mano
milk by hand
ordeñar con máquina
milk with a machine
Similar words
amamantar: Breastfeeds an infant at the mother's breast, letting the baby receive breast milk.
mamar: Draws milk into the mouth through oral suction on a nipple or teat.
exprimir: Compresses something to expel its liquid contents through pressure or twisting.
Definition in Spanish
Sacar la leche de un animal, especialmente de vacas o cabras; en sentido figurado, obtener beneficios o recursos de forma insistente.
Word origin
It originates in the medieval Spanish noun ordeño 'the act of milking', with the suffix -ar creating the verb, and it later extended metaphorically to getting resources insistently.
Usage tips
- When applied to people or organizations, ordeñar implies strong exploitation and sounds more accusatory than neutral verbs like obtener or sacar.
Other meanings
- exploitverb
Related words
- ordeñadomilkedadjective
- ordeñadormilking machinenoun