sour cream

American  

noun

1. cream soured by the lactic acid produced by a ferment.

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sour cream British  

noun

1. Also called: soured cream.  cream soured by lactic acid bacteria, used in making salads, dips, etc

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Etymology

Origin of sour cream

An Americanism dating back to 1815–25

Example Sentences

A pat of butter melting into everything, a scatter of cheese, a cool spoonful of sour cream.

From Salon • Mar. 25, 2026

It also makes sour cream, cream cheese and lactose-free options.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 8, 2026

The contents of each box varies, but they will have fruit and vegetables along with other items such as salmon fillets, garlic bread, sour cream, chicken and vegetable soup.

From BBC • Nov. 21, 2025

The kind you might have first met at a 4th of July picnic in a glass Pyrex dish, where guacamole and sour cream mingled with salsa and shredded cheese in slightly slouchy strata.

From Salon • Aug. 5, 2025

I packed a bag of sour cream and onion chips that I found in our kitchen cabinet, an outdoor blanket for all of us to sit on, and a pack of playing cards.

From "A Soft Place to Land" by Janae Marks