sundae

American  

[suhn-day, -dee] / ˈsʌn deɪ, -di /

noun

• sundaes
  plural

1. ice cream served with syrup poured over it, and often other toppings, as whipped cream, chopped nuts, or fruit.

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sundae British  

/ ˈsʌndɪ, -deɪ /

noun

1. ice cream topped with a sweet sauce, nuts, whipped cream, etc

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• sundaes
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of sundae

1890–95, perhaps special use of Sunday (with distinctive spelling)

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Explanation

A sundae is a delicious ice cream concoction that might include hot fudge or caramel sauce, nuts, and whipped cream. You can order a sundae any day of the week. When you put ice cream in a dish, drip a sweet topping over it (like strawberry sauce or chocolate syrup), and add a dollop of whipped cream and a cherry, you've got a sundae. There are several competing stories about the origin of the sundae (and its name). One is that Illinois' outlawing of soda drinking on Sundays led to the dessert's invention. Several towns claim to be the sundae's birthplace, including New York City; Plainfield, Illinois; and New Orleans.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sundae sundaes

There was the helmet with a safe amount of padding and the padding-deprived helmet that may have been obtained with a vanilla sundae at Dairy Queen.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

After the hummus and seven vegetable salads, the meal unfolded with sweet-and-salty pistachio-dusted halloumi baklava, tender beef shashlik over creamy black-garlic toum, and a guava sorbet sundae.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2025

We decide to splurge and get their vegan chocolate sundae.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2025

It lacks the trendiness of a cronut, the nostalgic appeal of an ice cream sundae or the sheer indulgence of a gooey cinnamon roll.

From Salon ● Jan. 30, 2025

"Where? I'll give you my magnifying glass if you find the sundae," he offered.

From "The Cinderella Ballet Mystery: Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew, #4" by Carolyn Keene

The chain was founded in Wichita, Kan., in 2002 and is known for its burgers, fries, cheese curds and sundaes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026

Once her situation started to look dire, I made peace with spending her money, whether that meant managing caregivers or splurging on hot fudge sundaes from Dairy Queen for dinner.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2025

The change came months after Mr. McDonald and a group of state party officials were invited to Mar-a-Lago, where they were treated to an hourslong meal that concluded with ice cream sundaes.

From New York Times ● Feb. 8, 2024

Mary-Ellen McDonald, 74, makes ice cream sundaes with homemade fudge sauce by the half-gallon.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 29, 2023

“So, kiddo, who makes the best hot fudge sundaes in town?”

From "Shine!" by J.J. and Chris Grabenstein

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