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Glite Dictionary
processed cheese

processed cheese

1 2.8
Cheese made by mixing other cheeses with added ingredients to make a smooth, long-lasting product
  • noun
  • /ˈprɑːsɛst ʧiːz/
translation icon : queso procesado
  • The overall intent of our research was to evaluate the safety and quality of processed cheese stored at ambient and refrigeration temperatures.
  • processed cheese slices
  • processed cheese products

Examples

  • Ladies and gentlemen, I'm here to address the controversy that has been raging around new techniques in the preparation of processed cheese.

    Cypher (2002)

  • From marketing and energy-saving standpoints, retail food establishments have an interest in storing processed cheese products at ambient temperature rather than under refrigeration.

    Academic text (2008)

  • So they started to use a processed cheese spread.

  • Clearly they started to use a processed cheese spread.

  • Now, at the risk of over simplifying, the question facing the average manufacturer of processed cheese is this:

    Cypher (2002)

  • For example, tinned butter and processed cheese from New Zealand are available and widely used in rural Tahitian households.

    Academic text (1994)

  • The most common forms of processed cheese products sold at retail food establishments are processed cheese slices or loaves.

    Academic text (2008)

  • Mitchell contributed three boxes of Munchables, a packaged assortment of lunch meats, crackers, and processed cheese spreads that could be served in various combinations.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • But she was forced to reinstate them in a healthier version—meaning no processed cheese out of a can—after students went on strike, refusing to eat in the cafeteria.

    Blog text (22)

  • Our sandwiches taste great with processed cheese melted on top.

Synonyms

cheese
vsprocessed cheese
∞ 1.0

A solid food made from milk that is pressed and often aged

refers specifically to blended, emulsified products made for uniform shelf stability
American cheese
vsprocessed cheese
  • US
4 1.3

A soft, mild cheese made in factories and used on burgers and sandwiches

covers blended, shelf-stable products more generally beyond mild sandwich use
process cheese
vsprocessed cheese
  • US
3.3

A cheese made by mixing different cheeses with other ingredients that help it melt smoothly

emphasizes shelf stability and added ingredients rather than meltability

Antonyms

natural
∞ 1.0

Not made or changed by people, coming from nature like sunlight

How Processed

processed cheese
1 2.8
pasteurized milk
  • US
1 2.2
cheese
∞ 1.0
natural
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

processed cheese singular
processed cheeses plural

Morphology

processed + cheese

The adjective 'processed' (transformed from its natural state) combined with the noun 'cheese' yields a directly compositional meaning: cheese that has been industrially treated or altered. This adjective+noun pattern is transparent and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer the MWE's sense.

Etymology

Processed cheese comes from the idea of makers processing the cheese: they mix different cheeses with other ingredients and heat them to make one smooth block that keeps longer. So 'processed cheese' today means cheese made by mixing and adding things so it 'stays fresh' and tastes the same.