cream
• noun 1 the thick white or pale yellow fatty liquid which rises to the top when milk is left to stand. 2 a dessert or other food containing cream or having a creamy consistency. 3 a thick liquid or semi-solid cosmetic or medical preparation. 4 the very best of a group: the cream of American society. 5 a very pale yellow or off-white colour. • verb 1 work (butter) to form a smooth soft paste. 2 mash (a cooked vegetable) and mix with milk or cream. 3 (cream off) take away (the best part of a group). — ORIGIN Old French cresme, from Latin chrisma ‘oil for anointing’.
Perform another search of the Compact Oxford English Dictionary
About this dictionary
The Compact Oxford English Dictionary of Current English contains 145,000 words, phrases, and definitions.
Find out more about Oxford's range of English dictionaries
Sign up for the AskOxford Word of the Day
Search the Little Oxford Dictionary of Quotations
Search the Concise Dictionary of First Names
| 
