milkshake

noun, verb — 7 senses

milkshake

noun

US, UK /ˈmɪlk.ʃeɪk/ · UK /ˈmɪlk.ʃɛjk/

Etymology From milk + shake.

1

A thick beverage consisting of milk and ice cream mixed together, often with fruit, chocolate, or other flavoring.

  • On May 2, a Twitter user posted a video of Danyaal Mahmud throwing a milkshake over Robinson.2019 May 21, Luke McGee, “Right-wing British politicians are having milkshakes thrown over them. Here’s why”, in CNN, archived from the original on 25 Mar 2023:
  • McDonald’s has been forced to stop selling milkshakes and bottled drinks at nearly 1,300 restaurants in the United Kingdom as Brexit-related staff shortages and supply chain delays caused by the pandemic continue to slam companies.2021 August 24, Charles Riley, “McDonald’s has run out of milkshakes in the UK”, in CNN, archived from the original on 01 Feb 2022:
1 more example
  • It should come as no surprise that while the peasants are expected to eat fermented fungi, lab-grown meats and maggot milkshakes, the Controligarchs — with their private chefs — have no intention of doing the same,2023, Seamus Bruner, Controligarchs: Exposing the Billionaire Class, Their Secret Deals, and the Globalist Plot to Dominate Your Life:
2

Australia, New England, New Zealand A thin beverage, similar to the above, but with no ice cream or significantly less of it.

3

A beverage consisting of fruit juice, water, and some milk, as served in Southeast Asia.

4

Engineering, Mechanical engineering, Mechanics, Natural sciences, Physical sciences Informal Accidental emulsion of oil and water in an engine.

  • This milkshake under the oil cap, or on the dipstick, indicates a blown head gasket.
5

Hobbies, Horse racing, Horseracing, Horses, Lifestyle, Pets, Racing, Sports Slang An alkaline supplement administered to a horse to improve its racing performance.

  • It was the illegal administration by trainer Gregory Martin and subsequent positive test of a baking soda, sugar and water mixture – commonly known as a “milkshake” – prior to one of his runner’s 10 length romps in a $12,000 claiming race at Aqueduct on December 18, 2003 that initially helped to bring the $200 million in illegal wagers to light.(Can we date this quote?), Jen Roytz, “Cosequin presents OTTB Showcase: A One Rocket (a.k.a. “Rocky”)”, in Paulick Report, archived from the original on 30 Apr 2025, page 1:
  • In 1999, the trainer Bobby Frankel was rumored to have given a high-profile filly a "milkshake" — a high dose of baking soda intended to increase endurance — before a race in Kentucky.2025, Katie Bo Lillis, Death of a Racehorse: An American Story, page 60:
Synonyms
frappe, cabinet, thickshake
Derived terms
manshake, milkshake duck, milkshakelike, milkshake tax, milkshakey

milkshake

verb

Etymology From milk + shake.

1

Hobbies, Horse racing, Horseracing, Horses, Lifestyle, Pets, Racing, Sports Slang To administer an alkaline supplement to (a horse) to improve its racing performance.

  • The name of the horse who was milkshaked was A One Rocket. Martin would later go on to plead guilty to the milkshaking incident and ultimately to two federal charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.(Can we date this quote?), Jen Roytz, “Cosequin presents OTTB Showcase: A One Rocket (a.k.a. “Rocky”)”, in Paulick Report, archived from the original on 30 Apr 2025, page 1:
2

Informal, Neologism To throw a milkshake at (a person).

  • A politician was milkshaked during the protest.
  • Carl Benjamin, another controversial candidate in the European elections, was milkshaked four times last week. […] The most recent milkshaking target is the former leader of Benjamin’s party, Nigel Farage, who left UKIP after it tried to admit Robinson as a member, claiming the party was fixated on Islam.2019 May 21, Luke McGee, “Right-wing British politicians are having milkshakes thrown over them. Here’s why”, in CNN, archived from the original on 25 Mar 2023:
1 more example
  • Indeed, the day before Farage was milkshaked, Leave EU issued an unauthorised, and now withdrawn, re-edit of a Beastie Boys video, showing him and Ann Widdecombe pouring beer over their political opponents.2019 May 26, Stewart Lee, “Are milkshakes the new politics of resistance?”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 23 Aug 2019:
Related terms
frappe, coffee cabinet, malt, malted milk

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.