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

This lemon cake with cream cheese-raspberry frosting is truly elegant. —Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 1 Mar. 2026

Fans of the Toasted Coconut cake appreciate the coconut flakes scattered throughout the cake and frosting, and anyone who loves a good cream cheese frosting will be obsessed with the topping. —Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Feb. 2026

Separate the frosting into smaller bowls and add a food coloring to each for different colored frostings. —Cody Godwin, USA Today, 10 Feb. 2026

Each dessert is blanketed with cream cheese frosting and comes with a baby on the side. —Sonia Garcia, Houston Chronicle, 30 Jan. 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