Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary - cream

(creams, creaming, creamed) Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. 1. 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. N-UNCOUNT see also clotted cream, double cream, single cream, sour cream, whipping cream 2. Cream is used in the names of soups that contain cream or milk. ...cream of mushroom soup. N-UNCOUNT: N of n 3. 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. N-VAR see also face cream 4. Something that is cream is yellowish-white in colour. ...cream silk stockings. ...a cream-coloured Persian cat. COLOUR 5. 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. N-SING-COLL: the N of n • You can refer to the best people or things of a particular kind as the cream of the crop. PHRASE 6. see also ice cream, peaches and cream, salad cream, shaving cream