Library / English Dictionary

CREAM

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Toiletry consisting of any of various substances in the form of a thick liquid that have a soothing and moisturizing effect when applied to the skin

Synonyms:

cream; emollient; ointment

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("cream" is a kind of...):

toilet articles; toiletry (artifacts used in making your toilet (washing and taking care of your body))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "cream"):

cold cream; coldcream; face cream; vanishing cream (a cream used cosmetically (mostly by women) for softening and cleaning the skin)

hand cream (moisturizing cream for the hands)

lanolin (an emollient containing wool fat (a fatty substance obtained from the wool of sheep))

nard; spikenard (an aromatic ointment used in antiquity)

sun blocker; sunblock; sunscreen (a cream spread on the skin; contains a chemical (as PABA) to filter out ultraviolet light and so protect from sunburn)

Derivation:

cream (put on cream, as on one's face or body)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The part of milk containing the butterfat

Classified under:

Nouns denoting foods and drinks

Hypernyms ("cream" is a kind of...):

dairy product (milk and butter and cheese)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "cream"):

clotted cream; Devonshire cream (thick cream made from scalded milk)

double creme; heavy whipping cream (cream with a fat content of 48% or more)

heavy cream (contains more than 36% butterfat)

coffee cream; light cream; single cream (cream that has at least 18% butterfat)

sour cream; soured cream (artificially soured light cream)

light whipping cream; whipping cream (cream that has enough butterfat (30% to 36%) to be whipped)

Derivation:

cream (add cream to one's coffee, for example)

cream (make creamy by beating)

creamy (thick like cream)

Sense 3

Meaning:

The best people or things in a group

Example:

the cream of England's young men were killed in the Great War

Synonyms:

cream; pick

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Hypernyms ("cream" is a kind of...):

elite; elite group (a group or class of persons enjoying superior intellectual or social or economic status)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Add cream to one's coffee, for example

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Hypernyms (to "cream" is one way to...):

modify (make less severe or harsh or extreme)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

cream (the part of milk containing the butterfat)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Remove from the surface

Example:

skim cream from the surface of milk

Synonyms:

cream; cream off; skim; skim off

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "cream" is one way to...):

remove; take; take away; withdraw (remove something concrete, as by lifting, pushing, or taking off, or remove something abstract)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Also:

cream off (pick the best)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Put on cream, as on one's face or body

Example:

She creams her face every night

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "cream" is one way to...):

apply; put on (apply to a surface)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

cream (toiletry consisting of any of various substances in the form of a thick liquid that have a soothing and moisturizing effect when applied to the skin)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Beat thoroughly and conclusively in a competition or fight

Example:

We licked the other team on Sunday!

Synonyms:

bat; clobber; cream; drub; lick; thrash

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "cream" is one way to...):

beat; beat out; crush; shell; trounce; vanquish (come out better in a competition, race, or conflict)

Verb group:

flail; lam; thrash; thresh (give a thrashing to; beat hard)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Sense 5

Meaning:

Make creamy by beating

Example:

Cream the butter

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "cream" is one way to...):

beat; scramble (stir vigorously)

Domain category:

cookery; cooking; preparation (the act of preparing something (as food) by the application of heat)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

cream (the part of milk containing the butterfat)

Credits

 Context examples: 

They include: • Hair dyes • Makeup • Perfumes • Skin-care creams

(Cosmetics, Food and Drug Administration)

The topknot and furnishings on pepper Dandies are silver and on mustard Dandies are cream colored.

(Dandie Dinmont Terrier, NCI Thesaurus)

Mineral oil is used in laxatives, lubricants, creams, and lotions.

(Mineral oil, NCI Dictionary)

Upon topical administration, methyl-5-aminolevulinate in the cream is selectively absorbed by tumor cells where it is converted to the photosensitizer protoporphyrin IX (PpIX).

(Methyl-5-Aminolevulinate Hydrochloride Cream, NCI Thesaurus)

A cream intended for administration to the mucosa of the nose.

(Nasal Cream Dosage Form, NCI Thesaurus)

A commercial combination preparation containing the aminoglycoside antibiotic neomycin sulfate and the polypeptide antibiotic polymyxin B sulfate, by Pfizer, in a cream with topical antibacterial activity.

(Neosporin Cream, NCI Thesaurus)

A cream intended for administration through the mouth.

(Oral Cream Dosage Form, NCI Thesaurus)

A cream intended for administration in or around the eye.

(Ophthalmic Cream Dosage Form, NCI Thesaurus)

Mercury salts may be used in skin creams and ointments.

(Mercury, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry)

This cream can also be used as a vehicle or base for topically applied medications.

(Derma-Membrane-Structure Topical Cream, NCI Thesaurus)