glacé

Glacé is a French term formed from the verb glacer, meaning to freeze or to coat with glaze. In general use, glacé describes things that are frozen, iced, or chilled, as well as surfaces that have a glossy, ice-like appearance. The form acts as an adjective or past participle rather than as a standalone noun.

In everyday French, glacé modifies nouns to indicate coldness or a glazed surface. For example, eau glacée means ice-cold water, and as a culinary descriptor it can denote dishes prepared with a glaze or coating, such as gâteau glacé (a cake with a glaze) or fruits glacés (fruits treated with a sugar coating). The related noun glace refers to ice or ice cream, while glacé functions primarily as an adjectival form.

In English usage, glacé appears in a few borrowed culinary terms, where it typically signals candied or sugar-coated items, such as glacé cherries. In broader contexts outside cuisine, glacé can describe frozen or icy conditions—surfaces or roads described as glacé convey a sense of freezing or frost. However, in everyday English, terms like candied, glazed, or iced are more common.

Etymology traces glacé to the French glacer, meaning to glaze or freeze. Related terms include glace (ice, or ice cream in French) and glaçage (the act or product of glazing). The word retains a neutral, descriptive tone and is primarily used in French-speaking contexts or in specialized culinary language.