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Glite Dictionary
cream cheese

cream cheese

40 1.0
A soft fresh cheese you spread on bread or crackers
  • noun
  • /kriːm tʃiːz/
translation icon : queso crema
  • You ought to try that with cream cheese and lox.
  • bagel with cream cheese
  • soften cream cheese
  • 8-ounce package cream cheese

We're going to be making a delicious cream cheese Maple glaze.

Examples

  • I decided to feast on one of my favorites: cream cheese, salmon, and capers!

    Blog text (17)

  • All right, so we're going to add our cream cheese, our amazing butter.

  • I also had some cream cheese left from my birthday.

  • Do you have to wait for the eggs and cream cheese to come to room temperature?

    Blog text (12)

  • Cloud bread is just cream cheese and eggs.

  • Put your butter and your cream cheese into the mixer and beat until smooth.

  • In a mixing bowl, beat the butter with the cream cheese until well blended.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • In a medium bowl, stir together the cream cheese and hot sauce until well blended.

    Blog text (12)

  • So I got cucumbers, cream cheese, lox and dill.

  • I was listening to her talk as I spread cream cheese on a bagel.

How Soft

mascarpone
4 7.3
cream cheese
40 1.0
Brie
37 3.5
cheddar
50 1.0
Parmesan
46 2.5

Surface Forms

cream cheese singular
cream cheeses plural

Morphology

cream + cheese

The meaning is directly derivable from the constituents: 'cream' (fat-rich layer) + 'cheese' (a dairy product) clearly indicates a type of cheese made with cream and thus a soft, spreadable dairy product. This compositional compound is common and cross-linguistically regular, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily understand it.

Etymology

Cream cheese probably began as a plain description: it is cheese made with extra cream, which makes it rich and very smooth so you can spread it. So the name explains why it means 'a soft, spreadable cheese' today.