---
title: icing — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «icing» in the school dictionary: Icing is a sweet topping made of sugar, often with butter or water, that covers cakes and biscuits. In the USA it is often called frosting. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# icing

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** Icing, that, cupcake, She, cake, We · **What happens:** be, make, cover, call, form, mean · **To what, where:** sweet topping, cakes, Icing, USA, something, good thing · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
«icing» in the school dictionary: its 3 meanings for a pupil and its 8 examples, every sentence parsed by Mova itself — its syntax tree, a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies, and its pragmatics clause by clause. The word in the dictionary, with its sense in the lessons: [icing in the school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/icing.md).

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Icing is a sweet topping made of sugar, often with butter or water, that covers cakes and biscuits. In the USA it is often called frosting.

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Icing is a sweet topping made of sugar, often with butter or water, that covers cakes and biscuits.

<!-- fold The tree, 18 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:icing:m1:1
# text = Icing is a sweet topping made of sugar, often with butter or water, that covers cakes and biscuits.
1	Icing	icing	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	sweet	sweet	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	topping	topping	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
6	made	make	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	5	acl	_	_
7	of	of	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	sugar	sugar	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
10	often	often	ADV	RB	_	12	advmod	_	_
11	with	with	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
12	butter	butter	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	conj	_	_
13	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	14	cc	_	_
14	water	water	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	17	punct	_	_
16	that	that	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	17	nsubj	_	_
17	covers	cover	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	parataxis	_	_
18	cakes	cake	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	17	obj	_	_
19	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	20	cc	_	_
20	biscuits	biscuit	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	18	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
21	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | Icing | a sweet topping and butter or water |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **make** | participle |  | a sweet topping and butter or water *not said here* |  |  |  | of sugar | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.asset V NP»: agent=Asset |
| 3 | **cover** | present | that | cakes and biscuits |  |  |  |  | vn fill-9.8-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Theme cake=Destination |

<!-- .note -->
One row per clause the reader finds. «not said here»: a role filled from the clause above. «roles by»: a VerbNet class and frame when one fits the verb, else the reader's rules on the tree.

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 2:* In the USA it is often called frosting.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:icing:m1:2
# text = In the USA it is often called frosting.
1	In	in	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	USA	USA	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	_
4	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	7	nsubj:pass	_	_
5	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	aux:pass	_	_
6	often	often	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
7	called	call	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
8	frosting	frosting	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	7	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **call** | present · passive |  | Icing |  | the USA |  | often *property* | vn initiate\_communication-37.4.2-1 «NP V NP.recipient»: subject=Recipient |

## Meaning 2 {#m2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Icing is also ice forming on something, like the wings of a plane.

<!-- fold The tree, 13 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:icing:m2:1
# text = Icing is also ice forming on something, like the wings of a plane.
1	Icing	icing	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
3	also	also	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
4	ice	ice	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
5	forming	form	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
6	on	on	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	something	something	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	5	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	11	punct	_	_
9	like	like	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	wings	wing	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	obl	_	_
12	of	of	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
13	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
14	plane	plane	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **form** | present · progressive | Icing |  |  | something |  | like the wings of a plane | vn appear-48.1.1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme on something=Location |

## Meaning 3 {#m3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
«The icing on the cake» means something extra that makes a good thing even better.

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:icing:m3:1
# text = «The icing on the cake» means something extra that makes a good thing even better.
1	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	3	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	icing	icing	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	_
4	on	on	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	cake	cake	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	3	punct	_	_
8	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
9	something	something	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	8	obj	_	_
10	extra	extra	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
11	that	that	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	12	nsubj	_	_
12	makes	make	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	acl:relcl	_	_
13	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
14	good	good	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	15	amod	_	_
15	thing	thing	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	obj	_	_
16	even	even	ADV	RB	_	17	advmod	_	_
17	better	well	ADV	RBR	Degree=Cmp	12	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	8	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **mean** | present | the icing on the cake | something |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent something=Topic |
| 2 | **make** | present |  | a good thing |  |  |  |  | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.asset V NP»: agent=Asset thing=Product |

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Each cupcake needs 20 g of icing.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:icing:x1:1
# text = Each cupcake needs 20 g of icing.
1	Each	each	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	2	det	_	_
2	cupcake	cupcake	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	needs	need	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	20	20	NUM	CD	NumForm=Digit|NumType=Card	5	nummod	_	_
5	g	G	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	of	of	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	icing	icing	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **need** | present | each cupcake | 20 g of icing |  |  |  |  | vn want-32.1-1-1 «NP V NP ADV»: agent=Pivot g=Theme |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
She put icing on 12 of the 30 biscuits.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:icing:x2:1
# text = She put icing on 12 of the 30 biscuits.
1	She	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	put	put	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	icing	ice	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	2	xcomp	_	_
4	on	on	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	12	12	NUM	CD	NumForm=Digit|NumType=Card	3	obl	_	_
6	of	of	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	30	30	NUM	CD	NumForm=Digit|NumType=Card	9	nummod	_	_
9	biscuits	biscuit	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **put** | past | She |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **ice** | gerund | She *not said here* |  |  | 12 of the 30 biscuits |  |  | vn butter-9.9 «NP V NP.destination»: agent=Agent |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The cake has pink icing.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:icing:x3:1
# text = The cake has pink icing.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	cake	cake	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	has	have	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	pink	pink	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	icing	icing	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **have** | present | the cake | pink icing |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent icing=Patient |

## Example 4 {#x4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
How much icing for 6 cakes?

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:icing:x4:1
# text = How much icing for 6 cakes?
1	How	how	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	2	advmod	_	_
2	much	much	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	icing	icing	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
4	for	for	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	6	6	NUM	CD	NumForm=Digit|NumType=Card	6	nummod	_	_
6	cakes	cake	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .note -->
The frames reader finds no event or fact in this sentence.

## Example 5 {#x5}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
We decorated the cupcakes with blue icing.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:icing:x5:1
# text = We decorated the cupcakes with blue icing.
1	We	we	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	decorated	decorate	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	cupcakes	cupcake	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obj	_	_
5	with	with	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	blue	blue	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	icing	icing	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **decorate** | past | We | the cupcakes |  |  |  | with blue icing | vn illustrate-25.3 «NP V NP PP.theme»: agent=Agent cupcake=Destination with icing=Theme |

## Example 6 {#x6}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Mix icing sugar with a little water.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:icing:x6:1
# text = Mix icing sugar with a little water.
1	Mix	mix	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	compound	_	_
2	icing	icing	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	compound	_	_
3	sugar	sugar	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
4	with	with	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
6	little	little	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	water	water	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .note -->
The frames reader finds no event or fact in this sentence.

## Example 7 {#x7}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Winning the cup was great, and the medal was the icing on the cake.

<!-- fold The tree, 14 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:icing:x7:1
# text = Winning the cup was great, and the medal was the icing on the cake.
1	Winning	win	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	5	csubj	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	cup	cup	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
4	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
5	great	great	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
7	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	12	cc	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	medal	medal	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	nsubj	_	_
10	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	12	cop	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	icing	icing	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	conj	_	_
13	on	on	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
14	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
15	cake	cake	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **win** | gerund |  | the cup |  |  |  |  | vn succeed-74-2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent cup=Eventuality |
| 2 | **is** | past | Winning |  |  |  |  | great *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **is a** | past | the medal | the icing |  | the cake |  |  | tree rules |

## Example 8 {#x8}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Icing on the road made it slippery.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:icing:x8:1
# text = Icing on the road made it slippery.
1	Icing	ice	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	5	csubj	_	_
2	on	on	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	road	road	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obl	_	_
5	made	make	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	5	obj	_	_
7	slippery	slippery	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **ice** | gerund |  |  |  | the road |  |  | vn butter-9.9 «NP V NP.destination»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **make** | past | Icing | road |  |  |  | slippery *property* | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.asset V NP»: agent=Asset it=Product |

<!-- div src -->

**Text:** the school dictionary of Mova's schools (`world/data/dictionary-schools/`), written for Mova. **Trees:** Mova's own parse — the `en` model on the CPU, when the site is built — not checked by a teacher; they may be wrong. **Frames:** Mova's frames reader (`prag`), each meaning and example read on its own. Elamur Cosmic License.

<!-- /div -->

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