שמנת

Modern derivation from the root ש־מ־ן (sh-m-n) (compare שמן (shémen, “oil”), שומן (shumán, “fat”)); possibly formed under the influence of Yiddish שמאַנט (shmant). For the Semitic root compare Akkadian 𒉌𒄑 (šamnu, Ì.GIŠ, “oil”), Arabic سَمْن (samn, “ghee”), Ugaritic 𐎌𐎎𐎐 (šmn, “oil”).

• (Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʃaˈme.net/

שַׁמֶּנֶת • (shaménet) f (no plural forms, singular construct שַׁמֶּנֶת־) [pattern: קַטֶּלֶת]

1. Cream: the oily part of milk that rises to the top.
2. ellipsis of שמנת חמוצה (shaménet khamutzá, “sour cream”)

• Since sour cream is often called שמנת (instead of the more explicit שמנת חמוצה (shaménet khamutzá)), ordinary cream is sometimes called שמנת מתוקה (shaménet m'tuká, “sweet cream”) to differentiate it. (Compare English sweet cream.)

• גְּבִינַת שַׁמֶּנֶת (g'vinát shaménet)
• שמנת חמוצה (shaménet khamutzá, “sour cream”)
• שמנת מתוקה (shaménet m'tuká, “cream, sweet cream”)

• “שַׁמֶּנֶת” in Abraham Even-Shoshan (אַבְרָהָם אֶבֶן־שׁוֹשָׁן) et al., הַמִּלּוֹן הֶחָדָשׁ (ha-milón he-khadásh, “The New Dictionary”), Kiryat-Sefer Ltd. (קִרְיַת־סֵפֶר בְּע״ם)‎ (1984), →ISBN, volume 3 of 3 (ק to ת), page 1387.