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

He remembers a sociable teenager who enjoyed "simple things" like football, ice cream and - when time allowed - a trip to the karting track.

From BBC • Jun. 22, 2026

If the Ellevest CEO had pursued her passion, she would be making ice cream and baking.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 22, 2026

But with protein cereal, muscle-building ice cream and macro-dense popcorn, there’s not enough whey protein to go around.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 20, 2026

I love to eat them on their own or topped with vanilla ice cream.

From Salon • Jun. 20, 2026

"It's filled with the yummiest ice cream in the whole wide world!"

From "Scream for Ice Cream: Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew, #2" by Carolyn Keene

Related Words

• frozen yogurt
• sherbet
• sorbet