sundae

[suhn-dey, -dee]

noun

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

Origin of sundae

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for sundae

Contemporary Examples of sundae

The sundae is meant to be a delectable marriage of textures: squishy and crunchy.
First Cronuts, Now Sundaes in a Can
Tim Teeman
August 1, 2014
One less Democrat in the Senate would make for a nice little cherry on their sundae.
Behind the GOP Game on Rice
Michael Tomasky
November 27, 2012
The effect is like eating a sundae and some bacon, not a bacon sundae.
A Bacon Sundae May Sound Like a Dream Combo Until You Try to Eat One
Andy Jacobsohn
June 16, 2012
Sundae ingredients are typically small and can be taken in manageable bites for a mouthful of flavor.
A Bacon Sundae May Sound Like a Dream Combo Until You Try to Eat One
Andy Jacobsohn
June 16, 2012

Historical Examples of sundae

A George Washington sundae, please, with plenty of ‘sundae’ on it.
The Campfire Girls of Roselawn
Margaret Penrose
Now take the lady outside, smooth her off and regale her with a lovers' sundae.
Hints to Pilgrims
Charles Stephen Brooks
They went into the drug store on the corner and had a sundae apiece.
The Corner House Girls
Grace Brooks Hill
There wasn't any use trying to melt a sundae with it, anyhow.
Wyoming, a Story of the Outdoor West
William MacLeod Raine
Billy Simmons paused in the act of reaching for a sundae glass.
The Sturdy Oak
Samuel Merwin, et al.

British Dictionary definitions for sundae

sundae

noun

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

Word Origin for sundae

C20: of uncertain origin

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

Word Origin and History for sundae

1897, American English, thought to be an alteration of Sunday, perhaps re-spelled in deference to religious feelings; but the reason for the name is uncertain; perhaps "ice cream left over from Sunday, on sale later." For a fuller account of the speculations, see H.L. Mencken, "The American Language," Supplement I (1945), pp.376-7.