cream

cream
/kreem/, n.
1. the fatty part of milk, which rises to the surface when the liquid is allowed to stand unless homogenized.
2. a soft solid or thick liquid containing medicaments or other specific ingredients, applied externally for a prophylactic, therapeutic, or cosmetic purpose.
3. Usually, creams. a soft-centered confection of fondant or fudge coated with chocolate.
4. a purée or soup containing cream or milk: cream of tomato soup.
5. the best part of anything: the cream of society.
6. a yellowish white; light tint of yellow or buff.
7. cream of the crop, the best or choicest: a college that accepts only students who are the cream of the crop.
v.i.
8. to form cream.
9. to froth; foam.
10. Informal. to advance or favor only the wealthiest, most skilled or talented, etc., esp. so as to reap the benefits oneself: Management is creaming by advancing only the most productive workers.
11. Also, cream one's jeans. Slang (vulgar).
a. to have an orgasm, esp. to ejaculate or experience glandular lubrication of the vagina.
b. to be overcome, as in rapturous admiration or delight.
v.t.
12. to work (butter and sugar, or the like) to a smooth, creamy mass.
13. to prepare (chicken, oysters, vegetables, etc.) with cream, milk, or a cream sauce.
14. to allow (milk) to form cream.
15. to skim (milk).
16. to separate as cream.
17. to take the cream or best part of.
18. to use a cosmetic cream on.
19. to add cream to (tea, coffee, etc.).
20. Slang.
a. to beat or damage severely; lambaste.
b. to defeat decisively.
c. to accomplish, esp. to pass (a test or course), with great ease and success: She creamed the math test, getting the highest grade in the class.
adj.
21. of the color cream; cream-colored.
[1300-50; ME creme < AF, OF cresme < LL chrisma CHRISM]

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Yellowish part of milk, rich in butterfat, that rises to the surface naturally if milk is allowed to stand.

In the dairy industry, cream is separated mechanically. Cream is graded by percentage of fat content. In the U.S., half-and-half, a mixture of milk and cream, contains 10.5–18% butterfat; light cream, commonly served with coffee, contains no less than 18%; and medium and heavy creams (the latter including whipping cream) contain about 30% and 36% respectively. Commercial sour cream, about 18–20% butterfat, is inoculated with lactic-acid-producing bacteria. See also ice cream.

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      yellowish component of milk, rich in fat globules, that rises to the surface naturally if milk is allowed to stand; in the dairy industry cream is separated mechanically (see cream separator). Homogenization of cream reduces the size of the fat globules, and the resulting product is less suitable for whipping.

      In the United States commercially produced cream is graded for use according to the percentage of fat content. Half and half, a mixture of milk and cream, contains from 10.5 to 18 percent butterfat. Light cream, the type commonly served with coffee, generally contains no less than 18 percent butterfat. Medium cream contains from 30 to 36 percent butterfat. A fourth grade called whipping cream, or heavy cream, contains no less than 36 percent butterfat. The grades and standards are slightly different in the United Kingdom. So-called clotted cream, a specialty of Devonshire and Cornwall, is gathered from fresh milk that is allowed to stand for a period and then slowly heated.

      Commercial sour cream is made from light cream of from 18 to 20 percent butterfat which, after pasteurization, is inoculated with lactic-acid-producing bacteria. The cream is ripened 14–16 hours at 72° F (22° C), then chilled and aged 12–48 hours. The bacterial action thickens the cream into a semisolid and adds a tangy flavour. Sour half-and-half is a similar product made from 10.5 to 18 percent butterfat cream. Crème fraîche is a French product of nearly 40 percent butterfat that is reinoculated with naturally occurring ferments and lactic acid after pasteurization to initiate a “natural” fermentation. Crème fraîche has a nutty rather than sour flavour. It is used in cooking and is often eaten with fruit.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • cream — [krēm] n. [ME creme < OFr craime, cresme, prob. a blend of LL(Ec) chrisma (see CHRISM) & VL crama < Celt base (as in Bret crammen, skin, surface), ult. < IE base * (s)ker , to cut > L corium, hide] 1. the oily, yellowish part of milk …   English World dictionary

  • Cream — (kr[=e]m), n. [F. cr[^e]me, perh. fr. LL. crema cream of milk; cf. L. cremor thick juice or broth, perh. akin to cremare to burn.] 1. The rich, oily, and yellowish part of milk, which, when the milk stands unagitated, rises, and collects on the… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Cream — 〈[ kri:m] f.; ; unz.〉 Creme, Sahne, Rahm [engl.] * * * Cream [kri:m ], die; , s [engl. cream < afrz. cresme, ↑ Creme]: engl. Bez. für: Creme. * * * Cream   [krɪːm, englisch], britisches Rocktrio, gegründet 1966 von dem Gitarristen E. Clapton,… …   Universal-Lexikon

  • cream — cream·able; cream; cream·ery; cream·i·ly; cream·i·ness; cream·less; cream·er; …   English syllables

  • cream´i|ly — cream|y «KREE mee», adjective, cream|i|er, cream|i|est. 1. like cream; smooth and soft. 2. having much cream in it: »pie with a rich, creamy filling …   Useful english dictionary

  • cream|y — «KREE mee», adjective, cream|i|er, cream|i|est. 1. like cream; smooth and soft. 2. having much cream in it: »pie with a rich, creamy filling …   Useful english dictionary

  • Cream — Cream, v. i. To form or become covered with cream; to become thick like cream; to assume the appearance of cream; hence, to grow stiff or formal; to mantle. [1913 Webster] There are a sort of men whose visages Do cream and mantle like a standing… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Cream — Cream, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Creamed} (kr?md); p. pr. & vb. n. {Creaming}.] 1. To skim, or take off by skimming, as cream. [1913 Webster] 2. To take off the best or choicest part of. [1913 Webster] 3. To furnish with, or as with, cream. [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 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.… …   English terms dictionary

  • cream|er — «KREE muhr», noun. 1. a small pitcher for holding cream; cream pitcher. 2. a machine for separating cream from milk; separator. 3. a refrigerator in which milk is placed while the cream is rising. 4. a powdery creaming agent similar to dried milk …   Useful english dictionary

  • cream|er|y — «KREE muhr ee», noun, plural er|ies. 1. a place where butter and cheese are made. 2. a place where cream, milk, and butter are bought or sold. 3. a place where milk is set for the cream to rise …   Useful english dictionary

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