vbl. sb. [f. FROST v.]
1. The action of the vb. FROST; exposure to the influence of frost or frosty air (gerundially † a or † on frosting).
1617. Bp. Hall, Quo Vadis? § 3. 6. Fond Mothers vse to send forth their daughters on frosting, early in cold mornings.
1647. Trapp, Comm. Heb. xii. 10. Aloes kils worms, and stained cloaths are whitened by frosting.
1667. Primatt, City & C. Build., 51. Let the builder make election of bricks that are made of a mould that was digged up in the winter, and laid a frosting, it being very advantageous to the substance of the brick.
1832. G. R. Porter, Porcelain & Gl., 310. The grinding of glass, or frosting it, in order to lessen its transparency, forms a branch of the glass-cutter’s art.
1849. [see FROSTED 5 b].
2. concr. a. A substance powdered to resemble frost and used for ‘frosting’ purposes; esp. pulverized white sugar used for ‘icing’ cake. b. A ‘frosted’ surface: see quot. 1892.
1756. C. Lucas, Ess. Waters, III. 64. A kind of stoney concrete … like a sort of frosting.
1858. Simmonds, Dict. Trade, Frosting, loaf-sugar prepared to coat plum cakes with.
1884. F. J. Britten, The Watch and Clockmakers’ Handbook (ed. 8). Frosting…. The grey surface produced on steel work for watches, &c. (2) the granular or ‘matted’ surface given to brass pieces prior to gilding.
1894. Times, 16 Aug., 6/2. Lakes, crayons, smalts and frostings.
