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

The immediate answer is that several of next year’s Academy Award nominees are starting their long Oscar seasons at the splendid opening-night banquet where truffles adorned both the sea bass and the ice cream.

From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2026

What was once an occasional snack and ice cream flavor choice became a typical presence in coffee shops, bakeries and grocery stores all over the world.

From Salon • May 6, 2026

"I'm not the ice cream police," Dr. Dadigiri said.

From Science Daily • May 1, 2026

Food such as chocolate bars, crisps and ice cream have negative digestive effects for the macaques but are "as delicious for them" as they are for humans, according to a Cambridge University study.

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026

The frosted glass case is full of bins of colorful ice cream.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller

Related Words

• frozen yogurt
• sherbet
• sorbet