cream
♦♦ cream /kr'iːm/ (creams creaming creamed)
1 [N-UNCOUNT]
Cream is a thick yellowish-white liquid taken from milk. You can use it in cooking or put it on fruit or desserts.
...strawberries and cream.
see also clotted cream, double cream, sour cream, sour cream, whipping cream
2 [N-UNCOUNT] N of n
Cream is used in the names of soups that contain cream or milk.
...cream of mushroom soup.
3 [N-VAR]
A cream is a substance that you rub into your skin, for example to keep it soft or to heal or protect it.
Gently apply the cream to the affected areas.
...sun protection creams.
see also face cream
4 [COLOUR]
Something that is cream is yellowish-white in colour.
...cream silk stockings.
...a cream-coloured Persian cat.
5 [N-SING-COLL] the N of n
Cream is used in expressions such as the cream of society and the cream of British athletes to refer to the best people or things of a particular kind.
The Ball was attended by the cream of Hollywood society.
[PHRASE]
You can refer to the best people or things of a particular kind as the cream of the crop.
6
see also ice cream, peaches and cream, shaving cream, shaving creamclot|ted cream
[N-UNCOUNT]
Clotted cream is very thick cream made by heating milk gently and taking the cream off the top. It is made mainly in the south west of England.cream cheese
[N-UNCOUNT]
Cream cheese is a very rich, soft white cheese.cream crack|er (cream crackers)
[N-COUNT]
Cream crackers are crisp dry biscuits which are eaten with cheese. (BRIT)
= crackercream of tar|tar
[N-UNCOUNT]
Cream of tartar is a white powder used in baking.cream off
1 [PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron)
To cream off part of a group of people means to take them away and treat them in a special way, because they are better than the others.
The private schools cream off many of the best pupils.
2 [PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron)
If a person or organization creams off a large amount of money, they take it and use it for themselves. (INFORMAL)
This means smaller banks can cream off big profits during lending booms...cream tea (cream teas)
[N-COUNT]
In Britain, a cream tea is an afternoon meal that consists of tea to drink and small cakes called scones that are eaten with jam and cream. Cream teas are served in places such as tea shops.dou|ble cream
[N-UNCOUNT]
Double cream is very thick cream. (BRIT; in AM, use heavy cream)face cream (face creams)
[N-MASS]
Face cream is a thick substance that you rub into your face in order to keep it soft.heavy cream
[N-UNCOUNT]
Heavy cream is very thick cream. (AM; in BRIT, use double cream)ice cream (ice creams)
also ice-cream
1 [N-MASS]
Ice cream is a very cold sweet food which is made from frozen cream or a substance like cream and has a flavour such as vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry.
I'll get you some ice cream.
2 [N-COUNT]
An ice cream is an amount of ice cream sold in a small container or a cone made of thin biscuit.
Do you want an ice cream?...light cream
[N-UNCOUNT]
Light cream is thin cream that does not have a lot of fat in it. (AM; in BRIT, use single cream)peaches and cream
[ADJ] usu ADJ n
If you say that a woman or a girl has a peaches and cream complexion, you mean that she has very clear, smooth, pale skin.sal|ad cream (salad creams)
[N-MASS]
Salad cream is a pale yellow creamy sauce that you eat with salad.shav|ing cream (shaving creams)
also shaving foam
[N-MASS]
Shaving cream is a soft soapy substance which men put on their face before they shave.
...a tube of shaving cream.sin|gle cream
[N-UNCOUNT]
Single cream is thin cream that does not have a lot of fat in it. (BRIT; in AM, use light cream)sour cream
also soured cream
[N-UNCOUNT]
Sour cream is cream that has been artificially made sour by being mixed with bacteria. It is used in cooking.whip|ping cream
[N-UNCOUNT]
Whipping cream is cream that becomes stiff when it is stirred very fast.
1 [N-UNCOUNT]
Cream is a thick yellowish-white liquid taken from milk. You can use it in cooking or put it on fruit or desserts.
...strawberries and cream.
see also clotted cream, double cream, sour cream, sour cream, whipping cream
2 [N-UNCOUNT] N of n
Cream is used in the names of soups that contain cream or milk.
...cream of mushroom soup.
3 [N-VAR]
A cream is a substance that you rub into your skin, for example to keep it soft or to heal or protect it.
Gently apply the cream to the affected areas.
...sun protection creams.
see also face cream
4 [COLOUR]
Something that is cream is yellowish-white in colour.
...cream silk stockings.
...a cream-coloured Persian cat.
5 [N-SING-COLL] the N of n
Cream is used in expressions such as the cream of society and the cream of British athletes to refer to the best people or things of a particular kind.
The Ball was attended by the cream of Hollywood society.
[PHRASE]
You can refer to the best people or things of a particular kind as the cream of the crop.
6
see also ice cream, peaches and cream, shaving cream, shaving creamclot|ted cream
[N-UNCOUNT]
Clotted cream is very thick cream made by heating milk gently and taking the cream off the top. It is made mainly in the south west of England.cream cheese
[N-UNCOUNT]
Cream cheese is a very rich, soft white cheese.cream crack|er (cream crackers)
[N-COUNT]
Cream crackers are crisp dry biscuits which are eaten with cheese. (BRIT)
= crackercream of tar|tar
[N-UNCOUNT]
Cream of tartar is a white powder used in baking.cream off
1 [PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron)
To cream off part of a group of people means to take them away and treat them in a special way, because they are better than the others.
The private schools cream off many of the best pupils.
2 [PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron)
If a person or organization creams off a large amount of money, they take it and use it for themselves. (INFORMAL)
This means smaller banks can cream off big profits during lending booms...cream tea (cream teas)
[N-COUNT]
In Britain, a cream tea is an afternoon meal that consists of tea to drink and small cakes called scones that are eaten with jam and cream. Cream teas are served in places such as tea shops.dou|ble cream
[N-UNCOUNT]
Double cream is very thick cream. (BRIT; in AM, use heavy cream)face cream (face creams)
[N-MASS]
Face cream is a thick substance that you rub into your face in order to keep it soft.heavy cream
[N-UNCOUNT]
Heavy cream is very thick cream. (AM; in BRIT, use double cream)ice cream (ice creams)
also ice-cream
1 [N-MASS]
Ice cream is a very cold sweet food which is made from frozen cream or a substance like cream and has a flavour such as vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry.
I'll get you some ice cream.
2 [N-COUNT]
An ice cream is an amount of ice cream sold in a small container or a cone made of thin biscuit.
Do you want an ice cream?...light cream
[N-UNCOUNT]
Light cream is thin cream that does not have a lot of fat in it. (AM; in BRIT, use single cream)peaches and cream
[ADJ] usu ADJ n
If you say that a woman or a girl has a peaches and cream complexion, you mean that she has very clear, smooth, pale skin.sal|ad cream (salad creams)
[N-MASS]
Salad cream is a pale yellow creamy sauce that you eat with salad.shav|ing cream (shaving creams)
also shaving foam
[N-MASS]
Shaving cream is a soft soapy substance which men put on their face before they shave.
...a tube of shaving cream.sin|gle cream
[N-UNCOUNT]
Single cream is thin cream that does not have a lot of fat in it. (BRIT; in AM, use light cream)sour cream
also soured cream
[N-UNCOUNT]
Sour cream is cream that has been artificially made sour by being mixed with bacteria. It is used in cooking.whip|ping cream
[N-UNCOUNT]
Whipping cream is cream that becomes stiff when it is stirred very fast.