kri:m n.,
v., & adj. --n. 1 a
the fatty content of
milk which gathers at the top
and can be
made into butter by churning. b
this eaten (often whipped)
with a
dessert, as a cake-filling, etc. (strawberries and cream; cream gateau). 2 the
part of a
liquid that gathers at the top. 3 (usu. prec. by the) the
best or choicest part of
something, esp.: a the
point of an
anecdote. b an
÷lite group of
people (the cream of the nation). 4 a creamlike
preparation,
esp. a
cosmetic (hand cream). 5 a
very pale
yellow or off-white
colour. 6 a a
dish or
sweet like or made with cream. b a
soup or
sauce containing milk or cream. c a full-bodied
mellow sweet
sherry. d a
biscuit with a
creamy sandwich filling. e a chocolate-covered usu. fruit-flavoured
fondant. --v. 1 tr. a
take the cream
from (milk). b take the best or a specified part from. 2 tr.
work (butter etc.) to a creamy
consistency. 3 tr.
treat (the
skin etc.) with cosmetic cream. 4 tr.
add cream to (coffee etc.). 5 intr. (of milk or
any other liquid)
form a cream or
scum. 6 tr. US colloq.
defeat (esp. in a
sporting contest). --adj. pale yellow; off-white. øcream
bun (or cake) a bun or
cake filled or topped with cream. cream cheese a
soft rich cheese made from
unskimmed milk and cream. cream-coloured pale yellowish
white. cream
cracker Brit. a
crisp dry unsweetened biscuit usu. eaten with cheese. cream-laid (or -wove)
laid (or wove) cream-coloured
paper. cream
off 1 take (the best or a specified part) from a
whole (creamed off the brightest pupils). 2 =
sense 1b of v. cream of
tartar purified and crystallized
potassium hydrogen tartrate, used in
medicine, baking
powder, etc. cream
puff 1 a cake made of puff
pastry filled with cream. 2 an
ineffectual or
effeminate person. cream
soda a carbonated vanilla-flavoured soft
drink. cream
tea afternoon tea with scones,
jam, and cream. [ME f. OF cre(s)me f. LL cramum (perh. f. Gaulish) & eccl.L chrisma CHRISM]
