icing

1 of 2

noun (1)

ic·​ing ˈī-siŋ 

1

: a sweet flavored usually creamy mixture used to coat baked goods (such as cupcakes)

called also frosting

2

: something that adds to the interest, value, or appeal of an item or event

—often used in the phrase icing on the cake

icing

2 of 2

noun (2)

: an illegal act by an ice hockey player of shooting a puck from within the defensive zone or defensive half of the rink beyond the opponents' goal line but not into the goal

Examples of icing in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The icing on the cake here is Mimi Lien’s set design, Lap Chi Chu and Elizabeth Harper’s lighting, and even Mikhail Fiksel and Beth Lake’s sound, which create a sense of glistening, wide-open space, as if all this action were occurring in a kind of heavenly place. —Trish Deitch, Variety, 25 Apr. 2024

The company unveiled an all-new Total Solar Eclipse Doughnut, which was an Original Glazed Doughnut dipped in black chocolate icing, adorned with silver sprinkles, piped with a buttercream made with Oreo pieces, and featured a whole Oreo in the center. —Gabe Hauari, USA TODAY, 10 Apr. 2024

The second flavor, Kit Kat Cookie Dream, is made up of an unglazed donut filled with cookie dough flavored Kreme and dipped in Hershey’s milk chocolate icing. —Kimberlee Speakman, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2024

The glazed doughnut comes dipped in black chocolate icing and is topped with silver sprinkles, buttercream made with Oreos, and an Oreo cookie. —Anna Halkidis, Parents, 5 Apr. 2024

The eclipse special consists of an original glazed doughnut dipped in black chocolate icing and topped with silver sprinkles, buttercream frosting, Oreo pieces and a whole Oreo cookie on top. —Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 3 Apr. 2024

The icing is exceptionally sweet, but those don’t add up to a balanced cake. —Kimberly Cataudella Tutuska, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2024

The total solar eclipse doughnut is an original glazed doughnut dipped in black chocolate icing, sprinkled with silver sprinkles and piped with a buttercream made with Oreo cookie pieces and topped with an Oreo cookie​. —Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 2 Apr. 2024

Remind them that once more might be the icing on the cake. —Angela Haupt, TIME, 12 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun (1)

circa 1740, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1948, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing icing

• anti-icing
• icing on the cake
• icing sugar
• royal icing

Kids Definition

icing

1 of 2 noun

ic·​ing ˈī-siŋ 

1

: a sweet coating for baked goods (as cakes)

called also frosting

2

: something that adds to the interest, value, or appeal of an item or event

—often used in the phrase icing on the cake

icing

2 of 2 noun

: the shooting of a hockey puck the length of the rink and beyond the opponent's goal line