Dictionary

cupcake en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio
• /ˈkʌpkeɪk/

Etymology

From cup + cake.

Meanings

1. A small cake baked in a usually paper container shaped like a cup, often with icing on top.
   • But when he tasted a vanilla-frosted vanilla cupcake from the Magnolia Bakery in Greenwich Village in 2004, it changed his life. […] Members of Jordan’s royal family stop by the shop in jeans and sweatshirts, ordering boxes of cupcakes while their bodyguards wait outside. 2009 September 23, Anna Louie Sussman, “Yes, We Speak Cupcake”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 17 Jun 2022:
2. (slang) An attractive young woman.
   • Whatever else this cupcake might be up to, she was no piker. 2006, Thomas Pynchon, Against the Day, Vintage, published 2007, page 604:
3. (slang) A weak or effeminate man.
4. (informal) A term of endearment.
   • “Listen, cupcake,” Cash tried to soothe. “Sometimes when grownups get mad, they say things they don't mean. I'm sure your mother—” 2010, Kimberly Cates, The Perfect Match:
5. (slang) An unskilled player or team, especially one expected to be easily defeated by a stronger opponent.
   • Australia need a win to progress, but they have a cupcake in Italy for their last, so they're not likely to miss out.

Forms

Coordinates

mug cake (small cake) · muffin (small cake)

Deriveds

cupcaking · cupcakey · cupcakery · cuckcake

Descendants

kapkeyk · cupcake · капке́йк · 컵케이크 · קאפקייק · cupcake · kuppikakku · ກັຜເຄ້ກ · คัพเค้ก · kapkeyk · cupcake · Cupcake · カップケーキ

Synonyms

stunner · babe (attractive young woman) · pansy · cabbage (term of endearment) · muffin · queen cake (small cake) · butterfly cake (small cake) · heartmate · sissy · fairy cake (small cake) · sweetie · cockney (effeminate man) · fox

Translations (52)

nrf p'tite gâche (small cake) · ru ко́шечка (attractive young woman) · de Cupcake (small cake) · ga cístín cupa (small cake) · de Tassenkuchen (small cake) · eo kuketo (small cake) · pt cupcake (small cake) · cmn 杯形蛋糕 (small cake) · fi neiti (weak or effeminate man) · ru красо́тка (attractive young woman) · ms kek cawan (small cake) · sv muffins (small cake) · cmn 纸杯蛋糕 (small cake) · sw keki za vikombe (small cake) · ca magdalena (small cake) · fi vuokaleivos (small cake) · pl babeczka (attractive young woman) · es ponqué (small cake) · ru пиро́жное-корзи́ночка (small cake) · ko 컵케이크 (small cake) · et keeks (small cake) · es panqué (small cake) · es quequito (small cake) · nl cupcake (small cake) · fr cupcake (small cake) · pt bolinho (small cake) · es tortita (small cake) · es pastel de taza (small cake) · fi namupala (attractive young woman) · af kolwyntjie (small cake) · ru кекс (small cake) · cy teisen gwpan (small cake) · ga borróg (small cake) · hy քափքեյք (small cake) · pl babeczka (small cake) · lo ກັຜເຄ້ກ (small cake) · tr kapkek (small cake) · uk кекси (small cake) · ja カップケーキ (small cake) · es magdalena (small cake) · la testuātium (small cake) · fi kuppikakku (small cake) · ru капке́йк (small cake) · nod ᨠᩢ᩠ᨸᨣᩮ᩠ᨠ (small cake) · th คัพเค้ก (small cake) · is bollakaka (small cake) · grc ἔγχυτος (small cake) · ceb kapkeyk (small cake) · eo pupo (attractive young woman) · tl kapkeyk (small cake) · cy teisen fechan (small cake) · hi कप केक (small cake)

cupcake en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio
• /ˈkʌpkeɪk/

Etymology

From cup + cake.

Meanings

1. (intransitive, slang) To flirt; to talk or act amorously or intimately.
   • She said, “You're always Cupcaking.” I replied, “I'm not cupcaking. I'm enjoying my conversation so hush.” David and I would stay on the phone all night and talk. It was normal for us. 2014, Zaneeya S., Overcoming My Past, page 170:
   • Let's review the tale of the tape: My best friend is being held hostage, I boosted his ride and mobile, then cupcaked with a heater-packing widow-maker. 2018, Carlos Bayne, Napkin Nights: The Crunk Chronicles:
   • “Luck is cupcaking on Myanna.” His eyebrows shot up. “Cupcaking?” “Old man.” She giggled. “Crushing. Your boy has a big time crush on Myanna.” 2015, Mahalia Levey, Promiscuous Wolf:
   • I watched Brian as he drove off down the street. I turned and went back inside the studio and found Len at my desk. “I saw you and Brian cupcaking out there.” 2011, Deontra Woods, Blood, Sweat and Tears, page 102:
   • But I figured Najah was cupcaking with Johan, Chelsea was eating something that didn't match while Greg rubbed her feet, and Kalena wasn't in a space to talk or listen. 2013, Michelle Robinson, Right Before My Eyes II, page 100:
2. (rare, slang, transitive) To flirt with; to talk or act amorously or intimately to.
   • “Quit cupcaking me, sugar.” / She was sure she was imagining the warmth in his deep, crinkly eyes, but her belly did a flip and high-fived her heart, as though she truly had succeeded in making him like her. 2016, Pippa Grant writing as Jamie Farrell, Sugared (Misfit Brides; 4), →ISBN:
   • Juan winks at her. "Sorry about my language. The shock paralyzed my thinking and tongue." / She smiles brightly. "No worries. I'm a nurse. I've heard it all." / Is Juan cupcaking the She-Ra, Princess of Power? 2018, Carlos Bayne, Napkin Nights: The Crunk Chronicles, [Morrisville, N.C.]: [Lulu.com], →ISBN, Chronicle VII, Chapter 2, page 131:
   • “I have thought of nothing but you for many days.” / Leticia actually blushed. “You cupcaking me?” 2016, Janey Mack, chapter 35, in Choked Up, New York, N.Y.: Kensington Books, →ISBN, pages 247–248:
3. (transitive) To mash a cupcake at; to cover with cupcake.
   • She grabs another cupcake and quickly smushes it into the side of my face. I put down the camcorder and get her back. We’re now decorated in pink and white frosting. “I want a selfie of us,” she says. I pick up the camera and record us, cupcaked faces squeezed together, as we crack up. 2016, Christina Hoag, Girl on the Brink, Fire and Ice, →ISBN, page 11:
   • The 28th straight win to open the season was greeted with cupcakes purchased by parents who made the spring break trip to Hawaii. “We cupcaked Murph’s face,” catcher Reagan Dykes said. “He didn’t seem too happy about that.” Confirmed. “I ran away from them too,” Murphy said. “I got one in the earhole. I smelled the frosting for like 12 hours.” 2019 March 21, Michael Casagrande, “The story behind Alabama softball’s record 31-0 start”, in AL.com:
   • “I cupcaked her.” “You did what?” “I cupcaked her. It was red velvet. I should’ve used a vanilla one, but I already picked a red velvet one.” “A cupcake.” “They had cupcakes for the birthday party. There was juice, too, but I didn’t have any. It had chunks.” “I don’t understand. What does that mean, you cupcaked her?” “You know, like I mashed a cupcake on her. In her face. Like at weddings and stuff.” 2018, Alex Grecian, The Saint of Wolves and Butchers, G. P. Putnam’s Sons, →ISBN:
   • Got any diabetes jokes you can share with readers? “I never got bullied the same as other kids—my house never got egged. It got cupcaked.” —Geoff Grant (Las Vegas, Nevada) 2016, Brian King, The Laughing Cure, Skyhorse Publishing, →ISBN:
   • So Colin crouched down, allowing her to smash a slightly used cupcake against his nose.[…]Avery took the aprons from him, carefully folding them so more crumbs wouldn’t fall to the already cupcaked snow. 2016, Rachel Hauck, A Royal Christmas Wedding (The Royal Wedding Series), Zondervan, pages 92–93:
   • “[…]That was after I cupcaked him.” Dead silence greeted her. It ticked on for a few seconds as Nicolette yanked her cupcake-covered T-shirt off and tossed it onto her bathroom floor. “Are you there?” “Yes. I’m trying to figure out if I had a brain aneurysm or if I heard you right,” returned Clara. “Clara!” Nicolette squeaked. “I need your advice right now.” “On what part? The bringing-home-a-guy-to-have-sex-with or the Viking-cake bit?” “Not a Viking cake. A Viking covered in cake—erm, cupcake,” stressed Nicolette. 2018, Mandy M. Roth, Act of Brotherhood (Paranormal Security®= and Intelligence® (Psi-Ops®) an Immortal Ops® World Novel), Raven Happy Hour, →ISBN:
   • After waving and smiling a quick farewell, I turned back on my way out of the lunchroom – and ran smack into Rusty Kuznevoy, flattening his chocolate cupcake against his chest.[…]Rusty saw the smirk, and I appeared to be snickering at the toughest kid in fourth grade seconds after cupcaking him.[…]Maybe he’d forgotten all about being cupcaked?[…]I recalled my vow of supremacy from last year, the one I’d made just before I cupcaked Rusty, and I reasoned that my science project could also bring me some redemption for the events of yesterday. 2008, T. David Lee, 108th Street, New York, N.Y.: Eloquent Books, →ISBN, pages 60, 61, 169, and 199:
4. (slang, transitive) To handle easily and successfully.
   • After John Garr popped out, Jeff Ward cupcaked a ball to short for a forceout and Black scored. 1988 July 19, Jack Oakley, “Modified battle is for 2nd”, in The Register, volume 110, number 221, page 2B:
   • “Being an independent coach sure, I cupcaked my schedule,” said McGuire. 1981 January 28, Mike Fish, “College basketball — the power’s at…: UCLA rules, but ACC top conference”, in The Kansas City Times, page D-3:
   • “Competitively, I want to play yesterday. I know if I had to go out there and lace ’em up and everything was on the line, like, I’m doing it 100%. … Not that I’m cupcaking it or anything but you have to be a little smarter, take care of your body.” 2022 February 14, “Suns G Landry Shamet out through All-Star break with ankle injury”, in Arizona Sports:
   • “I cupcaked the bitch!” 2014 August 28, Seth Stevenson, “Who’d Pay £600M to Watch This?”, in The Independent, number 8,701, page 38:
   • A&M also tackles Louisiana State and Tulsa and further cupcaked its campaign by arranging a game with Division I-AA Middle Tennessee State so it would have a sixth home game, moving Southwestern Louisiana back a year. 1995 April 15, Kirk Bohls, “A mere 56 years later, Aggies will take 2nd title”, in Austin American-Statesman, page C1:
   • The Tigers have cupcaked their way to a 10-0 start against giant killers like Arkansas State, Monmouth and Charleston Southern. 2006 December 12, Keith Jarrett, “Great record might not help Tigers”, in Asheville Citizen-Times, volume 137, number 346, page E4:
5. (ambitransitive) To cover or be abundant with cake-like decorations such as frills.
   • It seemed like a beautiful moment as the billowy fabric cupcaked around her lower half. 2017 May 4, Stephanie Haney, “The terrifying moment a bride nearly drowns as she gets stuck under her wedding dress after jumping into water before FIVE people come to her rescue”, in MailOnline:
   • Ahead in the dim dawn rose the white cupcaked dome of the Capitol. 2016 December, David Poyer, Onslaught: The War with China—The Opening Battle, New York, N.Y.: St. Martin’s Press, →ISBN, page 18:
   • By nine o’clock that night the snow had begun to fall even harder. Brendon stood on the corner of 87ᵗʰ Street and Stony Island Avenue beneath a green canvas awning now cupcaked with a layer of white. 2015, Joe Kilgore, A Farmhouse in the Rain, Winchester; Washington: Top Hat Books, published 2016:
   • It was no longer light, but I still could make out the front yard, which was cupcaked in snow. 2016 March, Catherine Lowell, The Madwoman Upstairs, Touchstone, →ISBN, page 271:
   • Maeve joined them in happy admiration of the baby girl, who had just been christened with the name Genesis and was cupcaked for the occasion with endless bits of lace frill. 1997, Lawrence J. Taylor, The Road to Mexico, Tucson, Ariz.: The University of Arizona Press, →ISBN, page 34:
6. (informal, rare, transitive) To feed cupcakes.
   • So—we offered a cup cake a day for life to anybody who would find us a better word than the word “market.”[…]She wrote to say that the Farmers Market defies description and asks why we don’t just keep on referring to it as the original Farmers Market and send the cup cakes to some home for under cup-caked children. 1942 March 10, Fred Beck, “Farmers Market Bulletin”, in Los Angeles Times, volume LXI, page 2:
   • Kenny started “You’ve Been Cupcaked” three years ago after she earned a following creating cakes and cupcakes for family members. 2011 June 19, Stephanie A. O’Connell, “A baker’s delight, and that’s just icing on the cake”, in Record-Journal, 144th year, number 170, Meriden, Conn., page E4:
   • “We grew up here and love this community so anything that we can do to give back we will. We have taken cupcakes to the hospital, outreach groups, the SPCA and even the RCMP and firefighters have been cupcaked,” said [Raj] Singh, noting that they would even like to set up a scholarship for local students. 2008 December 21, Kristi Patton, “Pair display a sweet taste for business”, in Penticton Western News, volume 42, number 153, Penticton, B.C., page 9, column 5:
   • Winnie Ellis “cupcaked” her Decorative Stitchery group and Paul Barnett baked enough of her special bran muffins for all of the Meals on Wheels recipients. 1975 September 11, Kerrville Mountain Sun, volume 94, number 48, Kerrville, Tex., page six:
7. (informal, intransitive) With out: to saturate by cupcakes.
   • Ross, a pastry chef who recently moved from California, reels off half a dozen cupcake bakeries in the Santa Monica area she went to all the time, including one called “Le Cupcake” which opened last fall and prompted one food blogger to ask, “Are we cupcaked out? Is there room for yet another cupcake shop in Southern California?” 2007 September 26, Darry Madden, “Opening her own business is icing on the cupcake”, in The Boston Globe, volume 272, number 88, page E4:
   • She slid a blue mini cupcake with green and teal sprinkles my way. “Try this Neptune’s Nibble.” I said regretfully, “I think I’m cupcaked out.” 2021, Josh Lanyon, Bell, Book and Scandal: Bedknobs and Broomsticks, →ISBN:
   • I love baking cupcakes, but I was starting to feel cupcaked-out. 2013, Coco Simon, Katie’s New Recipe (Cupcake Diaries; 13), Simon Spotlight, →ISBN, page 42:
8. (informal, intransitive) To make cupcakes.
   • And make cupcakes. I’ve cupcaked three times in the last few days. 2011 August 25, Suzanne Thibeault, “500 Things Project: Thinking about cupcakes and pickles”, in TribLocal, page 12:
   • “I told ’em that you would bake us 30 cupcakes instead.” And so Mrs. Smith cupcaked the other night until 1 a. m. 1955 December 23, Gerald (Gunny) Gunthrup, “The Gunny Sack”, in The Oneonta Star, volume LXIV, number 657, Oneonta, N.Y., page 4:
   • While many a bakery cupcaked and failed, Robicelli’s continues to withstand the test of time. 2015, Off Track Planet’s Brooklyn Travel Guide, Running Press, →ISBN:

Forms