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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

Sliding back to her camp, she heard the grass swish and looked up to see Amaroq and his hunters sweep around her frost heave and stop about five feet away.

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

Discouraged, she wriggled backward down the frost heave and arrived at her camp feet first.

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