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confectioners' sugar

American  
[kuhn-fek-shuh-nerz shoog-er] / kənˈfɛk ʃə nərz ˈʃʊg ər /

noun

  1. an extra-fine variety of powdered sugar, with cornstarch added to preserve dryness, used in icings, confections, etc.: it is graded from XXX to 14X, with a higher number of X’s corresponding to a more finely ground product.


confectioners' sugar British  

noun

  1. the US term for icing sugar

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of confectioners' sugar

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Serve them with a quick homemade blueberry syrup, regular maple syrup or loads of melted butter and confectioners’ sugar so their lightly sweet citrus flavor can really shine.

From New York Times • Jun. 17, 2023

Dust lightly with confectioners’ sugar and serve with a generous helping of preserves and Devonshire clotted cream or whipped cream.

From Washington Times • Apr. 14, 2023

Both rely entirely on royal icing, a multiuse mixture of confectioners' sugar and egg whites, plus an acid stabilizer that is firm upon piping and dries very hard.

From Salon • Feb. 3, 2023

Whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, orange juice and vanilla extract in a small bowl.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 27, 2022

Then Mama and I cooked six tuna casseroles six different ways, and we baked four chocolate cakes and dusted them with confectioners’ sugar.

From Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles