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

Now, McIlroy’s bid for a second straight green jacket will be decided by his ability to survive the weather melting peach ice cream sandwiches all over the course.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026

I personally regret not heading over to Scoops on Tap, where I could have ordered vegan lemon blueberry swirl and mint chip ice cream.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

The menu included a peach ice cream bombe.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

Unilever has spun off its Ben & Jerry’s ice cream business and sold its tea brands in recent years.

From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026

“Should we get ice cream before the fireworks?”

From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman

Related Words

• frozen yogurt
• sherbet
• sorbet