fondant

Etymology 1

19th century. From French fondant (“melting”), from fondre (“to melt”), from Latin fundere (“to melt”).

noun

1. (usually uncountable) A flavored, creamy sugar preparation, used for icing cakes or as a base for candies.
   To produce most types of fondant, you cook sugar, corn syrup, and water and beat the cooled mixture into a creamy paste. You may find a fondant recipe that includes other ingredients, but the three primary ingredients are the ones listed here. 2011, David Jones, Candy Making For Dummies, John Wiley & Sons
2. (countable) A candy or cake filled with such a preparation.
   At Chapter One, these chocolate fondants are served restaurant-style with a crème brulée ravioli and an unusual basil ice cream as well as the warm sauce given. 2005, Georgina Campbell, Irish Country House Cooking: The Blue Book Recipe Collection, page 62
3. (food) A sugar dough, usually prepared as large sheets (rolled fondant), used in place of icing to cover large areas of cakes, composed of sugar, water, gelatin, glycerine.
   Stan made a heroic attempt at a tiered cinnamon cake with a rolled fondant icing that came out gray and tore when he draped it over the cake. 2012, Kathryn Williams, Pizza, Love, and Other Stuff That Made Me Famous, Henry Holt and Company (BYR), page 182
4. (usually uncountable) Fondue.
   fondant chocolate
   fondant cheese
   Start with a Cortland apple salad, beets with goat cheese fondant, […] 2010, Paul Karr, Frommer's Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine
5. (usually uncountable) The base or flux, in enamel, which is colored throughout by metallic oxide while in a state of fusion.
6. (slang) Facial makeup (cosmetics), when used excessively.

Etymology 2

From French fondant, apparently a specialized use of fondre.

adj

1. (heraldry) Stooping, as for prey: said of an eagle, a falcon, etc.