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

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

There were poke bowls, a sandwich station, pizza, steak, ice cream sundae and even a “wrap station,” so you could take your food to go.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026

One day he was back in town, and he took Jenny and some of our other friends to Bennigan’s, and then this ice cream store in Oklahoma called Braum’s.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 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

They didn't want to be near Chip when their ice cream was finished.

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

Related Words

• frozen yogurt
• sherbet
• sorbet