ice-cream

IPA/ˈaɪs kriːm/
KK[ˈaɪskrˌim]IPA/ˈaɪs kriːm/

ice-cream — noun

1. a frozen dessert that is cold and sweet, prepared from milk or cream mixed with

1.nounA2
Definition

a frozen dessert that is cold and sweet, prepared from milk or cream mixed with sugar and different flavourings

Example

During the summer, the children asked for ice cream almost every afternoon.

uncountable: general food reference

Minh bought two ice creams from the shop near the park.

countable: individual servings

Common collocations
  • vanilla / chocolate / strawberry ice cream
  • a scoop of ice cream
  • an ice cream cone
  • ice cream sundae
  • melted ice cream
  • soft-serve ice cream
Synonyms
  • frozen yogurt

    lighter, made with yogurt instead of cream; often perceived as healthier but similar in texture

  • gelato

    Italian-style frozen dessert with less air and a denser, creamier texture than regular ice cream

  • sorbet

    dairy-free frozen dessert made from fruit juice or purée and sugar; lighter and more icy

Grammar Patterns

a scoop / bowl / tub of ice cream

an ice cream / two ice creams

Usage Note

In everyday use, ice cream is treated as an uncountable noun when referring to the food in general (I love ice cream). It becomes countable when referring to individual portions or servings ordered in a shop: 'Two ice creams, please.'

Common Mistakes

I ate a ice cream after dinner.
I ate an ice cream after dinner.
Use 'an' before words starting with a vowel sound (i-ce cream).
We bought some ice-cream from the store.
We bought some ice cream from the store.
The hyphen is no longer standard in modern English; write it as two words.

Word family

  • ice cream
    nounA2
  • ice-cream cone
    nounB1
  • ice-cream parlour
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four are frozen desserts, but they differ in ingredients and texture. Ice cream is made from milk, cream, sugar, and often egg yolks; it is the most common and widely available. Gelato is an Italian version with less air and less fat than ice cream, giving it a denser, silkier texture. Sorbet contains no dairy at all — it is made from fruit purée and sugar, making it lighter and suitable for people who avoid milk. Frozen yogurt uses yogurt instead of cream, which gives it a tangier flavour and is often marketed as a healthier alternative. For example, you would order a scoop of gelato after an Italian meal, choose a fruit sorbet as a light summer dessert, and pick frozen yogurt when you want something cold but less heavy than ice cream.

ice cream ↗gelato ↗sorbet ↗frozen yogurt

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • ice cream shop
  • ice cream parlour
  • ice cream cake
  • ice cream truck

Prepositions

  • with (topped with ice cream)
  • of (a scoop / bowl / tub of ice cream)

Etymology

English

The term ice cream comes from the earlier phrase 'iced cream', first recorded in the 1600s. The name described the method of making it — cream that was sweetened and then frozen. Over time, 'iced' lost its '-ed' ending and the two words became the modern compound 'ice cream', though the hyphenated form 'ice-cream' was common in older writing.

First known use

1874

1874, in the meaning defined above Noun