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

Outside the newsroom, she enjoys reading, soft-serve ice cream and spending time with her family.

From Los Angeles Times • May 26, 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

There’s also cottage cheese chocolate chip “cookie dough” and cottage cheese ice cream — recipes that definitely lean more on the bizarre side.

From Salon • May 24, 2026

Barton-on-Sea in Hampshire was named Britain's cheapest seaside destination for ice cream, with a single scoop costing an average of £1.95.

From BBC • May 23, 2026

The ice cream cups came with little wooden spoons, and she unwrapped them both and handed the boy one.

From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman

Related Words

• frozen yogurt
• sherbet
• sorbet