icing

1 of 3

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 3

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

icing

3 of 3

present participle of ice entry 2

Examples of icing in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

And then there was Lemieux’s dramatic appearance to put the icing on the cake. — Josh Yohe, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026

While other Sphere productions have focused on theatrical reinterpretations of artists’ tracks, Metallica’s story remains firmly rooted in the narrative of noise, with the Sphere’s complementary visual fantasy as the icing on the cake. — Melinda Sheckells, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026

Yu’s version is tender to the point of crumbly, coated with both dark chocolate and vanilla icing. — Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026

The apple pie donuts have an apple pie filling with vanilla icing and are drizzled with caramel. — Melinda Salchert, Southern Living, 25 Sep. 2026

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