ice cream

American  

noun

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

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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

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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

See Examples For:

ice cream

It's a mammoth task: The vast majority of the city's 20,500 licensed food carts -- selling pretzels, peanuts and ice cream -- rely on generators to power stoves, freezers and ventilators.

From Barron's ● Jul. 25, 2026

Party Puffs started out selling ice cream and lemonade until Barham perfected his signature hot dog on a stick using his mother’s cornbread recipe.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026

WSJ | Buy Side: This countertop ice cream maker delivers smooth, professional-quality frozen treats.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 2026

"We drink loads of water and try to serve our ice cream and give everybody a smile."

From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026

I finished my ice cream, then entertained myself by spinning the magazine rack at the end of the counter.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu

Related Words

• frozen yogurt
• sherbet
• sorbet