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

See Examples For:

sour cream

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

Here, they get cooked with butter, brown sugar, orange zest and salt until glossy and jammy, then folded into a simple sour cream cake scented generously with cardamom.

From Salon ● Aug. 16, 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

My favorite dishes are full of butter and cheese and sour cream.

From "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath