/kɹiːm/
OriginFrom Middle English creime, creme, from Old French creme, cresme, blend of Late Latin chrisma (“ointment”) (from Ancient Greek χρῖσμα (khrîsma, “unguent”)), and Late Latin crāmum (“cream”), from Gaulish *crama (compare Welsh cramen (“scab, skin”), Breton crammen), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)krama- (compare Middle Irish screm (“surface, skin”), Dutch schram (“abrasion”), Lithuanian kramas (“scurf”)). Doublet of crema and crème. Displaced native Old English rēam (“cream”) (> modern ream).
Figurative sense of "most excellent element or part" appears from 1581. Verb meaning "to beat, thrash, wreck" is 1929, U.S. colloquial. The U.S. standard of identity is from 21 CFR 131.3(a).
- countable, uncountableThe butterfat or milkfat part of milk which rises to the top; this part when separated from the remainder.
“Take 100 ml of cream and 50 grams of sugar…”
- US, countable, uncountableThe liquid separated from milk, possibly with certain other milk products added, and with at least eighteen percent of it milkfat.
“You may have noticed that any time that filling is mentioned on Oreo packaging, it's called "creme." This is no typo. Technically, the creamy filling inside an Oreo is not cream at all: The recipe use”
- UK, countable, uncountableThe liquid separated from milk containing at least 18 percent milkfat (48% for double cream).
- countable, uncountableA portion of cream, such as the amount found in a creamer.
“I take my coffee with two cream and three sugar.”
- countable, uncountableA yellowish white color; the color of cream.
“Hundreds of examples remain, still following the same general pattern—maroon, green or chocolate brown, for example, from ground to waist level, then a stale Cheddar cheese shade of cream above.”
- countable, informal, uncountableFrosting, custard, creamer, or another substance similar to the oily part of milk or to whipped cream.
“Originally the cream filling in Oreo cookies was made with pork lard.”
- countable, uncountableA dish prepared through creaming, particularly cream of
- countable, figuratively, uncountableThe best part of something.
“the cream of the crop”
“the cream of a collection of books or pictures”
“Welcome, O flower and cream of Knights-errant.”
- countable, uncountableA viscous aqueous oil or fat emulsion with a medicament added, used to apply that medicament to the skin. (compare with ointment)
“You look really sunburnt; you should apply some cream.”
“In vain she tries her paste and creams, / To smooth her skin or hide its seams.”
- countable, obsolete, uncountableThe chrism or consecrated oil used in anointing ceremonies.
“there shall never harlot have happe, by the helpe of Oure Lord, to kylle a crowned Kynge that with Creyme is anoynted.”
- not-comparableCream-coloured; having a yellowish white colour.
- transitiveTo puree, to blend with a liquifying process.
“Cream the vegetables with the olive oil, flour, salt and water mixture.”
- transitiveTo turn a yellowish white color; to give something the color of cream.
- slang, transitiveTo obliterate, to defeat decisively.
“We creamed the opposing team!”
- transitiveTo rub, stir, or beat (butter) into a light creamy consistency.
- transitiveTo skim, or take off by skimming, as cream.
- figuratively, transitiveTo take off the best or choicest part of.
- transitiveTo furnish with, or as if with, cream.
“Please cream these two coffees and leave the others black.”
“creaming the fragrant cups”
“A powerful agent is the right word: it lights the reader's way and makes it plain; a close approximation to it will answer, and much traveling is done in a well-enough fashion by its help, but we do n”
- intransitiveTo gather or form cream.
Formscreams(plural) · creme(alternative) · creyme(alternative) · creams(present, singular, third-person) · creaming(participle, present) · creamed(participle, past) · creamed(past)