cupcake

English

Etymology

cup +‎ cake.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkʌpkeɪk/

• Audio (AU):

  (file)

Noun

cupcake (plural cupcakes)

1. A small cake baked in a paper container shaped like a cup, often with icing on top.
2. (slang) An attractive young woman.
   • 2006, Thomas Pynchon, Against the Day, Vintage 2007, p. 604:

     Whatever else this cupcake might be up to, she was no piker.

3. (slang) A weak or effeminate man.
4. (dated) Term of endearment
   • 2010, Kimberly Cates, The Perfect Match:

     “Listen, cupcake,” Cash tried to soothe. “Sometimes when grownups get mad, they say things they don't mean. I'm sure your mother—”

Synonyms

• (small cake): fairy cake

See also

• (small cake, term of endearment): muffin

Translations

small cake

• Afrikaans: kolwyntjie (af)
• Catalan: cupcake m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 纸杯蛋糕 (zhǐbēi dàngāo), 杯形蛋糕 (bēixíng dàngāo)

• Danish: please add this translation if you can
• Estonian: keeks (et)
• Finnish: kuppikakku, vuokaleivos, muffini (fi), cupcake (fi)
• German: Cupcake (de), Törtchen (de)
• Icelandic: bollakaka f
• Irish: borróg f, cístín cupa m
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Japanese: カップケーキ (kappukēki)
• Korean: 컵케이크 (keopkeikeu)
• Malay: kek cawan
• Norman: p'tite gâche f
• Portuguese: please add this translation if you can
• Russian: кекс (ru) m (keks), капке́йк (ru) m (kapkéjk), пиро́жное-корзи́ночка n (piróžnoje-korzínočka)
• Spanish: (Spain) magdalena (es) f, (Venezuela) ponqué (es) m, (Mexico) panqué m, (Peru) quequito m, pastel de taza
• Swahili: keki za vikombe
• Swedish: muffins (sv) c
• Welsh: teisen fechan f, teisen gwpan f

attractive young woman

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: please add this translation if you can

• Danish: please add this translation if you can
• Finnish: namupala
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Japanese: please add this translation if you can
• Korean: please add this translation if you can
• Portuguese: please add this translation if you can
• Russian: красо́тка (ru) f (krasótka), ко́шечка (ru) f (kóšečka)

weak or effeminate man

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: please add this translation if you can

• Danish: please add this translation if you can
• Finnish: neiti (fi) (derogative)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Japanese: please add this translation if you can
• Korean: please add this translation if you can
• Portuguese: please add this translation if you can
• Russian: please add this translation if you can

term of endearment

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: please add this translation if you can

• Danish: please add this translation if you can
• Finnish: kultanen
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Japanese: please add this translation if you can
• Korean: please add this translation if you can
• Portuguese: please add this translation if you can
• Russian: please add this translation if you can

Verb

1. (slang, intransitive) To flirt; to talk or act amorously or intimately.
   • Carlos Bayne, Napkin Nights: The Crunk Chronicles

     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.

   • 2011, Deontra Woods, Blood, Sweat and Tears, page 102:

     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.”

   • 2013, Michelle Robinson, Right Before My Eyes II, page 100:

     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.

   • 2014, Zaneeya S., Overcoming My Past, page 170:

     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.

   • 2015, Mahalia Levey, Promiscuous Wolf:

     “Luck is cupcaking on Myanna.”
     His eyebrows shot up. “Cupcaking?”
     “Old man.” She giggled. “Crushing. Your boy has a big time crush on Myanna.”

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Spanish

Noun

cupcake m (plural cupcakes)

1. cupcake