frosting

[ fraw-sting, fros-ting ]

noun

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.

frosting

/ ˈfrɒstɪŋ /

noun

1. a soft icing based on sugar and egg whites
2. Also calledicing 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

Other Words From

• non·frost·ing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of frosting¹

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

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

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

Example Sentences

While a picnic-specific cake didn’t bring up any immediate associations, it still implied a treat that was easy to transport and eat, and not laden with rich, meltable frosting.

From Eater

Sometimes served cold, sometimes not, the cookies are surprisingly hefty but rarely dry, and thick, immobile pads of rosy frosting render each one tooth-achingly sweet.

From Eater

I finished the entire roll and used my finger to eat the remaining bits of frosting.

From Washington Post

I served the cinnamon rolls fresh from the oven, just like the recipe described, and drizzled the frosting on top.

From Washington Post

I prefer a conservative approach, wanting the cake layers and frosting to complement one another.

From Washington Post

Flecks of frosting tumble in slow motion to light on his belly, which gently swells beneath a black sweater.

From The Daily Beast

For a little balance, people can try the Cinnabon Delights – i.e. little donuts heaped with frosting.

From The Daily Beast

And when it premièred she made a kind of birthday cake, with only the single word “HAPPY” spelled out in frosting.

From The Daily Beast

Just grab a big brush, pen, spray paint can, fat chalk, or cake frosting, find a blank, legal surface, and go to town.

From The Daily Beast

For the frosting, combine the butter and sugar until smooth, then stir in the coffee.

From The Daily Beast

Marriage ought to have some frosting besides what's on the wedding cake.

From Project Gutenberg

I think a tomato can sandwich, and some brown paper cake with paste frosting on would be nice.

From Project Gutenberg

The logs are the soft, brown color of good gingerbread, and the little windows must be made of sugar frosting.

From Project Gutenberg

Cover with plain white frosting and ornament with icing in any desired way.

From Project Gutenberg

Much of the surface was crusted with a fine frosting; it was full of wells deep enough to sink a man in.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• glaze