Showing results for "frosting"

• present participle of frost.

frosting

American  

[fraw-sting, fros-ting] / ˈfrɔ stɪŋ, ˈfrɒs tɪŋ /

noun

• frostings
  plural

1. a sweet mixture, cooked or uncooked, for coating or filling cakes, cookies, and the like; icing.

2. a dull or lusterless finish, as on metal or glass.

3. a process of highlighting the hair by bleaching selected strands.

4. a material used for decorative work, as signs, displays, etc., made from coarse flakes of powdered glass.

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idioms

1. the frosting on the cake, something added to make a thing better or more desirable. Also icing on the cake.

frosting British  

/ ˈfrɒstɪŋ /

noun

1. a soft icing based on sugar and egg whites

2. Also called: icing. a sugar preparation, variously flavoured and coloured, for coating and decorating cakes, biscuits, etc

3. a rough or matt finish on glass, silver, etc

4. slang the practice of stealing a car while the owner has left it idling to defrost the windows and heat the engine

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonfrosting
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• frostings
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of frosting

First recorded in 1610–20; frost + -ing ¹

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

frosting frostings

When frosting a cake, consider piping in swirls rather than straight lines for a tipsy Victorian look.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026

“You can put your effort into glorifying your cake with frosting, dreaming up an exciting trim that puts your own label on it.”

From Salon ● Jun. 14, 2026

Everything else is just frosting on the cake.

From MarketWatch ● Jan. 30, 2026

“Big wasn’t a crush, he was a crash,” Carrie says to Miranda as she peels down the wrapper on a cupcake topped with bright pink buttercream frosting.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 11, 2026

Below, the tops of the clouds formed a thick layer that churned like an ocean of cake frosting.

From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood

And we haven't even mentioned different frostings and toppings: You can totally go to town.

From Salon ● Aug. 22, 2020

Baking often necessitates frostings, caramels, and creams, which can be finicky if they’re not kept at a steady temperature.

From Slate ● May 5, 2020

The bold frostings on the fried cakes owe their colors to the fruits and purées that flavor them; no artificial dyes or preservatives are used here.

From Washington Post ● Mar. 27, 2018

The dough is preternaturally puffy but has almost no give, and the frostings are as subtle as giggles.

From New York Times ● Nov. 4, 2014

The six tiers of fabric are like different frostings of tulle and lace and silk.

From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton

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Related Words

• glaze

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