Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

sour cream

American  

noun

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


sour cream British  

noun

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of sour cream

An Americanism dating back to 1815–25

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Toss them with egg noodles and add a swirl of sour cream or labneh and you have something that starts edging toward weeknight stroganoff.

From Salon Sep. 14, 2026

It was an unusually intense mobilization around an ingredient whose primary job is ordinarily to provide a little cold crunch between seasoned beef and sour cream.

From Salon Sep. 13, 2026

The first night, I topped bowls with avocado and sour cream; the second, I spooned leftovers over white rice with shredded cabbage and green onion left over from another dinner earlier in the week.

From Salon May 19, 2026

If Greek yogurt has a secret superpower, it’s this: it can step into almost any baking recipe that calls for sour cream, milk or even oil and do the job just as well.

From Salon Apr. 28, 2026

We spoon chili into mismatched bowls from the cabinet and heap them with sour cream and pre-shredded cheese.

From "We Are Okay" by Nina LaCour

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Look it up. Learn it forever.

Remember new words for good with VocabTrainer. Expand your vocabulary effortlessly with personalized learning tools that adapt to your goals.

Take me to Vocabulary.com