Frostings

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A sweet topping often created from sugar and fats, used to coat or adorn cakes and desserts for flavor and decoration
2. A creamy blend commonly made with confectioners' sugar and butter that adds taste and visual appeal to various baked treats
3. A sugary spread applied on pastries and cakes to enhance their taste and appearance

Etymology: "Frostings" is simply the plural of "frosting," so its story is the story of the sweet coating itself, which began as a plain description of cold weather. The root is "frost," which traces back through Old English "frost" and Proto-Germanic "frustaz" to a Proto-Indo-European root that also gave rise to words for frozen and crusted things. The ending "-ing" was attached to "frost" in English, producing a noun for whatever is made of or covered in frost. Its move from the freezing air to the kitchen is the surprising part. A word that once named a white crust on windows and grass came to describe the icing that makes a cake look as though it has been dusted with snow. The plural "frostings" simply counts different kinds or batches of that topping.

Synonyms: icing, glaze, topping, covering, coat