frost flowers

American  

plural noun

1. ice flowers.

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Etymology

Origin of frost flowers

First recorded in 1840–50

Example Sentences

The ship, too, quickly transformed into a frozen castle, with frost flowers dangling from the railings and ropes.

From Scientific American • Oct. 15, 2019

Rodman ran towards home and Waitstill hurried along, scarcely noticing the beauties of the woods and fields and waysides, all glowing masses of goldenrod and purple frost flowers.

From Story of Waitstill Baxter by Wiggin, Kate Douglas Smith

Plant upright, stocky, surviving till frost; flowers pale purple; tubers pink or reddish, large, oblong, often irregular; flesh dry and farinaceous.

From The Field and Garden Vegetables of America Containing Full Descriptions of Nearly Eleven Hundred Species and Varietes; With Directions for Propagation, Culture and Use. by Burr, Fearing

The tiny kerosene lamp burned in the window, but the frost flowers bloomed on the window-panes.

From Seven Icelandic Short Stories by Steingrímur J. Þorsteinsson

They bear a very close resemblance to the arborescent frost flowers seen on window panes in winter, and to the stellate snow crystals.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 7, Slice 7 "Crocoite" to "Cuba" by Various