Buttercreams

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Sweet, fluffy icing made from whipped butter and sugar, often spread on cakes ; small soft sweets with a rich, creamy centre
2. Whipped sugar-and-butter frosting used to decorate cakes and pastries ; bite-sized candies filled with a smooth, butter-rich cream
3. A light, sugary spread of butter and icing sugar for cake decoration ; confections with a soft, milky-tasting creamy middle

Etymology: "Buttercreams" is the plural of "buttercream", a compound of "butter" and "cream". Both parts are old, native English words, and the compound describes exactly what it is: a frosting made by beating butter together with sugar, sometimes with milk or cream added to loosen it. The plural simply refers to several batches or varieties of this icing, or to individual sweets and cakes topped with it. The plural form has a small curiosity of its own. Because "buttercream" is a mass noun for the substance, the plural turns the icing into countable portions, the way "creams" or "custards" can mean separate servings. The word is therefore a single, transparent compound, and its meaning is recoverable from its parts without any special history.

Synonyms: frosting, icing