icing
Americannoun
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a sweet, creamy spread, as of confectioners' sugar, butter, and flavoring, for covering cakes, cookies, etc.; frosting.
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Meteorology. a coating of ice on a solid object.
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Aviation. the freezing of atmospheric moisture on the surface of an aircraft.
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Ice Hockey. the act of a player shooting the puck from the defensive half of the rink over the opponent's goal line, but not into the goal, as a defensive maneuver to keep the puck out of the reach of attacking opponents, resulting in a penalty against the defensive team if the puck is then next touched by an opponent other than the goalkeeper.
idioms
noun
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Also called (esp US and Canadian): frosting. a sugar preparation, variously flavoured and coloured, for coating and decorating cakes, biscuits, etc
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the formation of ice, as on a ship or aircraft, due to the freezing of moisture in the atmosphere
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any unexpected extra or bonus (esp in icing on the cake )
Etymology
Origin of icing
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"This is just a massive bonus to a good package that we already had, this is the icing on the cake," Weston told BBC Sport in 2025.
From BBC
"This is just a massive bonus to a good package that we already had, this is the icing on the cake," said Weston.
From BBC
Tensions were calmed quickly, and scorecards revealed the knockout was the icing on the cake for Figueroa, who was ahead of two of the three scorecards at the time of the stoppage.
From BBC
Despite the injury that would sideline even elite athletes, Vonn called this Olympic opportunity “icing on the cake” of her storied career.
From Los Angeles Times
Nobody quite knows who decided to give them icing eyes and smirks.
From Salon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
