crème de la crème
[ krem duh lah -krem; French krem duh la -krem ]
/ ˈkrɛm də lɑ ˈkrɛm; French krɛm də la ˈkrɛm /
Save This Word!
noun
the very best; choicest parts or members.
QUIZZES
QUIZ YOURSELF ON “ITS” VS. “IT’S”!
Apostrophes can be tricky; prove you know the difference between it’s and its in this crafty quiz!
Question 1 of 12
On the farm, the feed for chicks is significantly different from the roosters’; ______ not even comparable.
Origin of crème de la crème
First recorded in 1840–50; literally, cream of the cream
Words nearby crème de la crème
crème de bananes, crème de cacao, crème de cassis, crème de fraise, crème de framboise, crème de la crème, crème de menthe, crème de violette, crème fraîche, Cremer, cremini
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for crème de la crème
British Dictionary definitions for crème de la crème
crème de la crème
/ French (krɛm də la krɛm) /
noun
the very best
Word Origin for crème de la crème
literally: cream of the cream
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cultural definitions for crème de la crème
crème de la crème
[ (krem duh luh krem) ]
The best of the best: “Our school's marching band is acknowledged as the crème de la crème.” From French, meaning “cream of the cream.”
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.