a. Also 6 whaish, 6–7 whayish(e. [f. WHEY sb. + -ISH1.] Having the nature or quality of whey; like or resembling whey in consistence, color or other quality; watery, thin; palish.
1565. Raynalde, Byrth Mankynde, 46 b. The vayne … whiche bryngeth the whayishe humour into the left kydney.
1572. Twyne, Dionysius’ Surv. World, E viij. A wheyish Topase.
1585. Banister, Tumors, xxxiv. Wks. (1633), 114. A watrish or whayish and unprofitable substance.
1625. B. Jonson, Staple of News, II. 2nd Intermeane. If it be fresh and sweet butter; but say it be sower and wheyish?
1683. Tryon, Way to Health, 150. Some River-Water will look of a wheyish whiteish Colour.
a. 1722. Lisle, Husb. (1757), 295. A cow … lately had the yellows, and the first coming of them to be known was by her milk being wheyish.
1801. Beddoes, Hygëia, VI. (1802), 43. These break … and discharge the ill-conditioned, wheyish, and curdy matter.
1807. Jas. Hall, Trav. Scot., II. 327. The liquid oozing from the roof in a few minutes seems to be formed into a wheyish substance.
Hence Wheyishness, wheyish quality; also fig.
1637. Markham, Engl. Housew., II. (ed. 5), 107. To prevent the wheyishnesse of the Custard.
1803. Southey, in Robberds, Mem. W. Taylor (1843), I. 453. I have read Cowper’s ‘Odyssey’ … to cure my poetry of its wheyishness.
