a. A fancy dish or sweet of which cream is an ingredient, or which has the appearance and consistency of cream, as almond, chocolate, iced cream, etc.

†b. A substance or liquor of cream-like consistency; esp. a decoction (of barley, etc.): cf. cremor n. Obsolete.

c. The part of a liquid which gathers on the top like the cream on milk; a ‘head’ of scum, froth, etc.

d. A cream-like preparation used cosmetically. See also cold cream n.

e. Used in the names of some cordials and liqueurs, with reference to their viscid character, or acknowledged excellence; cream of the valley, cream of the wilderness, fancy names applied to gin. spec. A full-bodied mellow sherry. In full cream sherry. Cf. Bristol cream n. at Bristol n. Compounds 2.

f. The liquid rich in droplets or particles of the dispersed phase that forms a separate (esp. upper) layer in an emulsion or suspension when it is allowed to stand or is centrifuged; spec. the liquid rich in globules of rubber that forms a layer on the surface of latex in the manufacture of india-rubber.

a. cream of tartar n. the purified and crystallized bitartrate of potassium, used in medicine and for various technical purposes.

b. cream of tartar tree: a tree of Northern Australia, Adansonia Gregorii: see quot. 1866. The name is also given to the allied Baobab, whence cream of tartar fruit, the fruit of the Baobab.

a. simple attributive or adj. Cream-coloured, yellowish white.

b. elliptical. Cream colour; also, a cream-coloured horse, rabbit, or the like.

cream-cake n. a cake filled with a custard made of cream, eggs, etc.

cream colour n. the colour of cream, a yellowish white; also attributive; absol. a cream-coloured horse.

cream cracker n. a crisp, unsweetened biscuit.

cream-faced adj. having a face of the colour of cream (from fear).

cream horn n. a pastry case shaped like a horn and filled with cream and jam; also attributive.

cream ice n. an ice-cream.

† cream-joy n. Obsolete a kind of sweet-meat.

cream-jug n. a small jug for holding cream at table.

† cream-kitte n. Obsolete (see quot.).

cream-laid adj. applied to laid paper of a cream colour.

cream-pot n. a vessel for holding milk while the cream is forming; a vessel for keeping cream; figurative a dairy maid; see also quot. 1877 and cf. cream-kitte n.

cream-separator n. a machine for separating the cream from milk.

cream-slice n. a knife-like instrument for skimming milk, or for serving frozen cream.

cream soda n. originally U.S. a carbonated drink of soda water.

cream tea n. afternoon tea which includes bread or scones with jam and clotted cream.

cream-ware n. cream-coloured pottery ware.

† cream-water n. Obsolete (see quot.).

cream-wove n. wove paper of cream colour.

a. intransitive. Of milk: To form cream.

b. transitive. To cause or allow (milk) to form cream.

a. intransitive. Of other liquids: To form a scum or frothy layer on the surface; to mantle, foam, froth.

b. with adverb complement, as down, up.

c. Of an emulsion or suspension, esp. rubber latex: to form cream (cream n.² 2f); to separate into a layer of cream and another layer.

d. transitive. To cause (latex) to cream; to bring about creaming in.

a. To work (butter and sugar, yolk of eggs and sugar, etc.) into a creamy consistency.

b. transferred. To deal with vigorously and with success, esp. to beat or thrash; to defeat heavily, as in sporting contexts; to ruin or wreck (a motor vehicle, etc.). colloquial (originally U.S.).