frost

See also: Frost and fröst

English

Frost on a leaf and grass.
Close-up look at frost crystals.

Etymology

From Middle English frost, from Old English frost (frost), from Proto-Germanic *frustaz (frost), from Proto-Indo-European *prews- (to freeze; frost). Cognate with West Frisian froast (frost), Dutch vorst (frost), German Frost (frost), Swedish frost (frost), Icelandic frost (frost), Latin pruīna (hoarfrost, frost, rime, snow). Related to freeze.

Pronunciation

Noun

frost (countable and uncountable, plural frosts)

  1. A cover of minute ice crystals on objects that are exposed to the air. Frost is formed by the same process as dew, except that the temperature of the frosted object is below freezing.
    • 1748. David Hume. Enquiries concerning the human understanding and concerning the principles of moral. London: Oxford University Press, 1973. § 47.
      It is more probable, in almost every country of Europe, that there will be frost sometime in January, than that the weather will continue open throughout that whole month;
  2. The cold weather that causes these ice crystals to form.
  3. (figuratively) Coldness or insensibility; severity or rigidity of character.
    • Sir Walter Scott
      It was one of those moments of intense feeling when the frost of the Scottish people melts like a snow-wreath.
  4. (obsolete) The act of freezing; the congelation of water or other liquid.
  5. A shade of white, like that of frost.
    frost colour:  
  6. (slang, dated) A disappointment; a cheat.

Derived terms

Translations

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.

Verb

frost (third-person singular simple present frosts, present participle frosting, simple past and past participle frosted)

  1. (transitive) To cover with frost.
  2. (intransitive) To become covered with frost.
  3. (transitive) To coat (something, e.g. a cake) with icing to resemble frost.
  4. (transitive) To anger or annoy.
    I think the boss's decision frosted him a bit.
  5. (transitive) To sharpen (the points of a horse's shoe) to prevent it from slipping on ice.

Derived terms

Translations

Anagrams


Danish

Etymology

From Old Norse frost.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /frɔst/, [fʁ̥ʌsd̥]

Noun

frost c (singular definite frosten, not used in plural form)

  1. frost

Declension

References


Icelandic

Etymology

From Old Norse frost.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /frɔst/
  • Rhymes: -ɔst

Noun

frost n (genitive singular frosts, nominative plural frost)

  1. frost

Declension

See also


Middle English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Old English frost, forst, from Proto-Germanic *frustaz, *frustą; akin to Middle Dutch vorst, Middle High German vrost, Middle Low German vrost, and Old Swedish frost.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈfrɔst/, /ˈfɔrst/

Noun

frost (plural frostes)

  1. Cold, freezing, or frosty weather; weather that causes frost.
  2. Frost or rime; frozen dew or water droplets.
  3. Hail; precipitation below freezing temperature
  4. (rare, figuratively) Something with a chilling effect.

Derived terms

Descendants

References


Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Old Norse frost n.

Noun

frost m (definite singular frosten)

  1. frost

Derived terms

References


Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Old Norse frost n

Noun

frost m (definite singular frosten)

  1. frost

Derived terms

References


Old English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *frustą, *frustaz, akin to Old High German frost, Old Norse frost.

Noun

frost m

  1. frost

Descendants


Old High German

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *frustą, *frustaz, akin to Old English frost, Old Norse frost.

Noun

frost m

  1. frost

Descendants


Old Norse

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *frustą, *frustaz, akin to Old English frost, Old High German frost.

Noun

frost n

  1. frost

Descendants

References

  • frost in Geir T. Zoëga (1910) A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press

Swedish

Etymology

From Old Norse frost, from Proto-Germanic *frustą, *frustaz.

Pronunciation

  • (file)

Noun

frost c

  1. frost

Declension

Declension of frost 
Uncountable
Indefinite Definite
Nominative frost frosten
Genitive frosts frostens
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