ice cream

American  

noun

1. a frozen food containing cream or milk and butterfat, sugar, flavoring, and sometimes eggs.

---

ice cream British  

noun

1. a kind of sweetened frozen liquid, properly made from cream and egg yolks but often made from milk or a custard base, flavoured in various ways

---

Etymology

Origin of ice cream

First recorded in 1735–45

Compare meaning

How does ice-cream compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• custard vs. ice cream
• sorbet vs. ice cream
• ice milk vs. ice cream
• frozen custard vs. ice cream

Example Sentences

Shoppers weren’t in the mood to pay more for staples such as coffee, chocolate, and ice cream as inflation squeezed their wallets.

From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026

Todd filled his time eating ice cream while working at Cold Stone Creamery and producing music from his childhood bedroom.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2026

"My granny used to run the shop. I've no involvement now - my relations run it. I had to get an ice cream on the last day," she said.

From BBC • May 30, 2026

Mixue, which built its business around ultra-low-cost milk tea and ice cream, now has tens of thousands of stores, most operated by franchisees.

From Barron's • May 26, 2026

"We know how much you hate green ice cream, no matter how good it is!"

From "Scream for Ice Cream: Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew, #2" by Carolyn Keene

Related Words

• frozen yogurt
• sherbet
• sorbet