Back to all words

Cream

3 stages from Late Latin to English.

Today it means the thick, fatty part of milk; the best of a group

Where does the word "cream" come from? It comes from Late Latin chrisma, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).

chrisma→cresme→cream

Late Latin · ancient

"anointing oil"

consecrated anointing oil, from Greek; it blended with a Gaulish word 'crama'

Old French · medieval

the mixed word came to mean the rich top layer of milk

English · 1300s

"the fatty part of milk"

the sense 'the best part', as in 'cream of the crop', followed

Drag to pan · scroll to zoom

Read the full story

Cream’s story begins in Late Latin: chrisma meant “anointing oil.” Consecrated anointing oil, from Greek; it blended with a Gaulish word 'crama'. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as cresme. The mixed word came to mean the rich top layer of milk. It reached English by 1300s as cream. The sense 'the best part', as in 'cream of the crop', followed. Today, cream means the thick, fatty part of milk; the best of a group.