Decream

/dɪˈkriːm/ verb

Definition

To remove cream from milk or skim off the top layer of a liquid.

Etymology

From de- (remove) + cream. 'Cream' comes from Old French 'creme' and possibly Gaulish (Celtic) origins. The de- prefix indicates the reversal of the creaming process, separating cream from milk.

Kelly Says

Before refrigeration and mechanization, 'decreaming' was the daily dairy work of separating cream for butter—it's a word rooted in agricultural labor that became obsolete when electric separators made the hand-skimming technique unnecessary.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.