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frost heave

American

noun

Geology.

an uplift in soil caused by the freezing of internal moisture.

frost heave British

noun

Also called: frost heaving. the upthrust and cracking of a ground surface through the freezing and expansion of water underneath

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of frost heave

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

For instance, if you live in a cold climate, you might find that the pier is required to extend below the frost line of the house so that a frost heave doesn't occur.

From US News • Jun. 30, 2014

For those who don't speak deck, a pier is a component that supports a deck, and a frost heave happens when ice causes your soil to swell during freezing conditions.

From US News • Jun. 30, 2014

She packed them, tied a thong to the new caribou skin so she could drag it behind her, and lined up her pointer stones with a distant frost heave.

From "Julie of the Wolves" by Jean Craighead George

At the top of her frost heave, she froze in her tracks.

From "Julie of the Wolves" by Jean Craighead George

When the jaegers arose into the air she picked up the pot and climbed once again to the top of her frost heave.

From "Julie of the Wolves" by Jean Craighead George

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023