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 iconic slice of cake featured a coat-of-arms colored in gold, red, blue and silver, a silver horseshoe and leaf spray, as well as some white decorative icing. —Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2025

The $300 hotel credit is like the icing on the cake. —Meghan Hunter, CNBC, 21 Nov. 2025

The model’s dessert featured five tiers with intricate pink icing and pink ribbons. —Kirsty Hatcher, PEOPLE, 21 Nov. 2025

The meringue powder helps the icing set, enabling you to create intricate layered designs. —Josh Miller, Southern Living, 21 Nov. 2025

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

Rhymes for icing

• deicing
• dicing
• pricing
• slicing
• splicing
• enticing
• sufficing
• sacrificing
• satisficing

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