# cream

> English word · Noun · IPA /kɹiːm/ · frequency rank #2,383

## Definitions
1. The butterfat or milkfat part of milk which rises to the top; this part when separated from the remainder.
2. The butterfat or milkfat part of milk which rises to the top; this part when separated from the remainder.
3. The butterfat or milkfat part of milk which rises to the top; this part when separated from the remainder.
4. The butterfat or milkfat part of milk which rises to the top; this part when separated from the remainder.
5. A yellowish white color; the color of cream.
6. Frosting, custard, creamer, or another substance similar to the oily part of milk or to whipped cream.
7. A dish prepared through creaming, particularly cream of
8. The best part of something.
9. A viscous aqueous oil or fat emulsion with a medicament added, used to apply that medicament to the skin. (compare with ointment)
10. Semen.
11. The chrism or consecrated oil used in anointing ceremonies.

## Etymology
From 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).

## Easily confused with
- **CRM** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cream-vs-crm)
- **crew** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cream-vs-crew)
- **Cree** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cream-vs-cree)
- **cred** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cream-vs-cred)
- **crim** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cream-vs-crim)
- **creek** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cream-vs-creek)
- **crews** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cream-vs-crews)
- **creep** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cream-vs-creep)
- **creed** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cream-vs-creed)
- **crest** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cream-vs-crest)
- **Crete** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cream-vs-crete)
- **crept** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cream-vs-crept)
- **Crewe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cream-vs-crewe)
- **crème** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cream-vs-creme)
- **credo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cream-vs-credo)
- **Croat** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cream-vs-croat)
- **create** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cream-vs-create)
- **creamy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cream-vs-creamy)
- **crease** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cream-vs-crease)
- **creams** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cream-vs-creams)

## Common misspellings (7)
`ccream`, `ceram`, `craem`, `creamm`, `crema`, `crream`, `rceam`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/cream