From Old French cresme, blending Gaulish crāmum 'cream' with Greek khrîsma 'anointing oil.'
The thick white or pale yellow fatty liquid that rises to the top of milk.
From Old French cresme, a blend of Late Latin crāmum 'cream' (of Gaulish origin) and Late Latin chrisma 'anointing oil' (from Greek khrîsma 'unction'). The two words merged because both described rich, oily substances. The color 'cream' came later, around 1590. Key roots: crāmum (Late Latin (Gaulish origin): "cream").