cream

[ kreem ]

noun

1. the fatty part of milk, which rises to the surface when the liquid is allowed to stand unless homogenized.
2. a soft solid or thick liquid containing medicaments or other specific ingredients, applied externally for a prophylactic, therapeutic, or cosmetic purpose.
3. Usually creams. a soft-centered confection of fondant or fudge coated with chocolate.
4. a purée or soup containing cream or milk:

   cream of tomato soup.

5. the best part of anything:

   the cream of society.

6. a yellowish white; light tint of yellow or buff.

verb (used without object)

1. to form cream.
2. to froth; foam.
3. Informal. to advance or favor only the wealthiest, most skilled or talented, etc., especially so as to reap the benefits oneself:

   Management is creaming by advancing only the most productive workers.

4. Also cream one's jeans. Slang: Vulgar.
   1. to have an orgasm, especially to ejaculate or experience glandular lubrication of the vagina.
   2. to be overcome, as in rapturous admiration or delight.

verb (used with object)

1. to work (butter and sugar, or the like) to a smooth, creamy mass.
2. to prepare (chicken, oysters, vegetables, etc.) with cream, milk, or a cream sauce.
3. to allow (milk) to form cream.
4. to skim (milk).
5. to separate as cream.
6. to take the cream or best part of.
7. to use a cosmetic cream on.
8. to add cream to (tea, coffee, etc.).
9. Slang.
   1. to beat or damage severely; lambaste.
   2. to defeat decisively.
   3. to accomplish, especially to pass (a test or course), with great ease and success:

      She creamed the math test, getting the highest grade in the class.

adjective

1. of the color cream; cream-colored.

cream

/ kriːm /

noun

1. 1. the fatty part of milk, which rises to the top if the milk is allowed to stand
   2. ( as modifier )

      cream buns

2. anything resembling cream in consistency

   beauty cream

   shoe cream

3. the best one or most essential part of something; pick

   the cream of the bunch

   the cream of the joke

4. a soup containing cream or milk

   cream of chicken soup

5. any of various dishes, cakes, biscuits, etc, resembling or containing cream
6. a confection made of fondant or soft fudge, often covered in chocolate
7. cream sherry
   cream sherry a full-bodied sweet sherry
8. 1. a yellowish-white colour
   2. ( as adjective )

      cream wallpaper

verb

1. tr to skim or otherwise separate the cream from (milk)
2. tr to beat (foodstuffs, esp butter and sugar) to a light creamy consistency
3. intr to form cream
4. tr to add or apply cream or any creamlike substance to

   to cream coffee

   to cream one's face

5. trsometimes foll byoff to take away the best part of
6. tr to prepare or cook (vegetables, chicken, etc) with cream or milk
7. to allow (milk) to form a layer of cream on its surface or (of milk) to form such a layer
8. slang.
   tr to beat thoroughly
9. slang.
   intr (of a man) to ejaculate during orgasm

Derived Forms

• ˈcreamˌlike, adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of cream¹

1300–50; Middle English creme < Anglo-French, Old French cresme < Late Latin chrīsma chrism

Word History and Origins

Origin of cream¹

C14: from Old French cresme, from Late Latin crāmum cream, of Celtic origin; influenced by Church Latin chrisma unction, chrism

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. cream of the crop, the best or choicest:

   a college that accepts only students who are the cream of the crop.

Example Sentences

Barnard won in 2019 with his maple pecan porridge, a mix of pecan butter, maple syrup, dry milk powder, and cream, all topped with pecans sauteed in ghee.

From Eater

It would be like…if I say I’m going to buy you some ice cream and I’ll bring it to you, you have to be prepared to either eat it right then or store it somewhere because it’s not going to last.

From Popular-Science

So for example, at the start of the pandemic, you know, people were receiving WhatsApp health advice that was telling them to avoid ice cream and meat.

From MIT Technology Review

It also has a vibrant restaurant scene featuring comfort food eateries, barbecue restaurants, gastropubs and several popular ice-cream shops.

From No Straight News

The first 5,000 members to sign up will receive samples of anti-aging cream from the launch partner, beauty brand StriVectin.

From Digiday

But Huckabee (akin to Elizabeth Warren on the left) is like an ice cream sundae.

From The Daily Beast

Serve with the warm sauce and your choice of ice cream, whipped cream, or yogurt.

From The Daily Beast

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.

From The Daily Beast

On one summer lunch hour, Donna Ann Levonuk, 50, lifted a tub of diaper cream priced at $43.98—and then stashed it in her purse.

From The Daily Beast

The Plaza Hotel cooked a fancy-pants latke with red wine braised oxtail, horseradish sunchoke cream, and crispy kale.

From The Daily Beast

They had been permitted to sit up till after the ice-cream, which naturally marked the limit of human indulgence.

From Project Gutenberg

"I have had a letter from your friend," she remarked, as she poured a little cream into Edna's cup and handed it to her.

From Project Gutenberg

He had "taken the cream" out of those old law-books, if studying them could do it, for he had been at them pretty often of late.

From Project Gutenberg

At the old Rosewater dances we never had anything but cake and lemonade—ice-cream in very hot weather.

From Project Gutenberg

As he sat there young Jim Hands drove up with his girl, alighted, and went into the ice-cream parlor for refreshment.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• jelly
• ointment
• paste