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Definition of cottage cheese
cottage cheese
cottage cheese Lexical Profile
CEFR
B1
Grade
4
Tier
1
Usage
Top 10k
• noun
1
A soft, lumpy, unaged white cheese made from the curds of skimmed or partly skimmed milk.
Example
"She prepared a healthy breakfast consisting of cottage cheese topped with fresh sliced peaches and a drizzle of honey."
2
An informal or descriptive term for a lumpy, dimpled texture, frequently used in reference to cellulite on the human body.
Example
"Many fitness magazines promote exercises that claim to reduce the appearance of cottage cheese on the thighs and glutes."
Synonyms
View all synonyms for cottage cheese• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
The term originated in the United States in the mid-19th century, referring to a simple, unaged cheese that was commonly made in rural cottages using leftover milk from butter making.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Cottage cheese. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 14, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/cottage cheese