cream
UK: kriːm | US: kriːm
n. 1. A thick, smooth liquid derived from milk, used in cooking or as a topping.
n. 2. The best part or most valuable element of something (e.g., "the cream of the crop").
vt. 3. To beat ingredients (e.g., butter and sugar) until soft and creamy.
The word "cream" traces back to Old French "creme," derived from Latin "chrisma," meaning "ointment" or "anointing oil," which itself came from Greek "khrisma." The term originally referred to the fatty layer skimmed from milk, later expanding metaphorically to denote "the best part" of anything. The connection between "fat/oil" and "milk fat" reflects the shared concept of richness.
She added fresh cream to her coffee.
The university attracts the cream of international students.
Cream the butter and sugar before adding eggs.
This moisturizer contains aloe and coconut cream.
The chef whipped the cream into stiff peaks.