frosting

noun

frost·​ing ˈfrȯ-stiŋ 

1

a

: icing

b

: trimming, ornamentation

2

: lusterless finish of metal or glass : mat

also : a white finish produced on glass (as by etching)

3

: the lightening (as by chemicals) of small strands of hair throughout the entire head to produce a two-tone effect compare streaking

Examples of frosting in a Sentence

We put frosting on the cupcakes.

Recent Examples on the Web

Martha's Swiss meringue buttercream is less sweet than other frostings and spreads beautifully into swoops and swirls. —Martha Stewart, 8 May 2026

The layers are flavored with buttermilk, cocoa powder, and cola, then iced with a Coca-Cola and cream cheese frosting. —Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 8 May 2026

Or just whip a jar of cookie butter for the easiest frosting ever. —Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appetit Magazine, 28 Apr. 2026

And lastly, the Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cookie is a chocolate cookies-and-cream cookie adorned with fresh strawberry cream cheese frosting and semi-sweet chocolate. —Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 21 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1750, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for frosting

• costing
• defrosting
• exhausting

Kids Definition

frosting

noun

frost·​ing ˈfrȯ-stiŋ 

1

: icing entry 1 sense 1

2

: a dull finish on metal or glass