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:

• sorbet vs. ice cream
• custard vs. ice cream
• ice milk vs. ice cream
• frozen custard vs. ice cream

Example Sentences

Nestlé is exploring selling well-known brands, including sparkling-water company San Pellegrino and the rest of its stake in ice cream maker Häagen-Dazs.

From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026

The shop sells soft-serve ice cream, bubble teas, and shakes.

From Barron's • Jun. 1, 2026

"It's never going to be here again, so I thought it was important to get an ice cream, and stock up with the tubs as well," she said.

From BBC • May 30, 2026

"My granny used to run the shop. I've no involvement now - my relations run it. I had to get an ice cream on the last day," she said.

From BBC • May 30, 2026

In reality, I’m thinking about the last time I ate cookies-and.cream ice cream.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller

Related Words

• frozen yogurt
• sherbet
• sorbet