frost

[ frawst, frost ]

/ frɔst, frɒst /

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noun

a degree or state of coldness sufficient to cause the freezing of water.

Also called hoarfrost. a covering of minute ice needles, formed from the atmosphere at night upon the ground and exposed objects when they have cooled by radiation below the dew point, and when the dew point is below the freezing point.

an opaque coating of tiny, white, granular ice particles, formed on the walls or contents of a freezer by the condensation of water vapor; rime.

the act or process of freezing.

coldness of manner or temperament: We noticed a definite frost in his greeting.

Informal. a coolness between persons.

Informal. something that meets with lack of enthusiasm, as a theatrical performance or party; failure; flop.

a milk shake, frappe, or similar drink: a chocolate frost.

verb (used with object)

to cover with frost.

to give a frostlike surface to (glass, metal, etc.).

to ice (a cake, cookies, etc.).

to bleach selected strands of (a person's hair) in order to create highlights.

to kill or injure by frost: a freezing rain that badly frosted the tomato plants.

to make angry: I was frosted by his critical comment.

verb (used without object)

to become covered with frost or freeze (often followed by up or over): The windshield has frosted over.

(of varnish, paint, etc.) to dry with a film resembling frost.

SYNONYMS FOR frost

5 aloofness, coolness, distance, remoteness.

See synonyms for frost on Thesaurus.com

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On the farm, the feed for chicks is significantly different from the roosters’; ______ not even comparable.

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Idioms for frost

degree of frost, British. the degree of temperature Fahrenheit below the freezing point: 10 degrees of frost is equivalent to 22°F.

Origin of frost

before 900; Middle English, Old English frost, forst; cognate with Old Saxon, Old High German, Old Norse frost; akin to freeze

OTHER WORDS FROM frost

frostless, adjectivefrostlike, adjectiveun·frost, verb (used with object)

Words nearby frost

frontward, frontwards, front-wheel drive, frore, frosh, frost, Frostbelt, frostbite, frostbite sailing, frostbitten, frost boil

Definition for frost (2 of 2)

Frost

[ frawst, frost ]

/ frɔst, frɒst /

noun

Robert (Lee), 1874–1963, U.S. poet.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for frost

Frost and Central Florida finished 13-0 and mastered Auburn in a New Year’s Six game.
Once obvious and thrilling, three college football coaching hires have lost their luster|Chuck Culpepper|November 30, 2020|Washington Post
Lows range through the 30s with frost likely in our colder suburbs.
D.C.-area forecast: After up to 4 inches, rain eases this afternoon; skies brighten Friday through the weekend|David Streit|November 12, 2020|Washington Post
Low temperatures dip into the mid- to upper 30s, but thanks to the well-stirred atmosphere, we shouldn’t have widespread frosts or freezes.
D.C.-area forecast: Raindrops end this morning, then it gradually clears with breezy conditions|A. Camden Walker|October 30, 2020|Washington Post
The top Brexit negotiators — for the EU, Michel Barnier, and for the UK, David Frost — said they would talk early next week, though Frost told Barnier not to come to London unless the EU has a new plan, according to the Guardian.
The EU and the UK still haven’t reached a post-Brexit agreement. What’s next?|Jen Kirby|October 16, 2020|Vox

The category is projected to be worth $50 billion by 2025, according to Frost and Sullivan, a marketing consulting firm.
Everything You Need to Know About Period Tracking|Christine Yu|September 6, 2020|Outside Online
The lyrical declamation has inspired luminaries ranging from Kurt Vonnegut to Robert Frost.
James Franco and Scott Haze on 'The Sound and the Fury' and Gawker 'Outing' Them As A 'Couple'|Marlow Stern|September 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And, eventually, who repented – famously on television during a remarkable series of interviews with David Frost.
Three Dicks: Cheney, Nixon, Richard III and the Art of Reputation Rehab|Clive Irving|July 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
You'd put a scarf across your nose and mouth and when you breathed through it, it would get all white with frost.
Gordie Howe Hockey’s Greatest War Horse|W.C. Heinz|May 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Whereas Lane Frost more or less lived the life that embodied the ideal.
The Death of a Rodeo Cowboy|Peter Richmond|May 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In 1987, Lane Frost won the championship of bullriding, and won the biggest buckle you can win.
The Death of a Rodeo Cowboy|Peter Richmond|May 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In these archipelagos the waters being shallow, the frost was quite intense enough to cool them to the bottom.
The Giant of the North|R.M. Ballantyne
He shall pour frost as salt upon the earth: and when it freezeth, it shall become like the tops of thistles.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
Moreover, though a land of frost, it is very windy, the wind being nearly always a cold one.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various
The day had been intensely cold, with a biting north-east wind and black frost.
The World Before Them|Susanna Moodie
Before morning old Jack Frost snapped his fingers and the whole world was encased in ice.
The Girls of Central High on the Stage|Gertrude W. Morrison

British Dictionary definitions for frost (1 of 2)

frost

/ (frɒst) /

noun

a white deposit of ice particles, esp one formed on objects out of doors at nightSee also hoarfrost

an atmospheric temperature of below freezing point, characterized by the production of this deposit

degrees below freezing point: eight degrees of frost indicates a temperature of either –8°C or 24°F

informal something given a cold reception; failure

informal coolness of manner

the act of freezing

verb

to cover or be covered with frost

(tr) to give a frostlike appearance to (glass, etc), as by means of a fine-grained surface

(tr) mainly US and Canadian to decorate (cakes, etc) with icing or frosting

(tr) to kill or damage (crops, etc) with frost

Derived forms of frost

frostlike, adjective

Word Origin for frost

Old English frost; related to Old Norse, Old Saxon, Old High German frost; see freeze

British Dictionary definitions for frost (2 of 2)

Frost

/ (frɒst) /

noun

Sir David (Paradine). born 1939, British television presenter and executive, noted esp for political interviews

Robert (Lee). 1874–1963, US poet, noted for his lyrical verse on country life in New England. His books include A Boy's Will (1913), North of Boston (1914), and New Hampshire (1923)

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

Medical definitions for frost

frost

[ frôst ]

n.

A deposit of minute ice crystals formed when water vapor condenses at a temperature below freezing.

Scientific definitions for frost

frost

[ frôst ]

A deposit of tiny, white ice crystals on a surface. Frost forms through sublimation, when water vapor in the air condenses at a temperature below freezing. It gets its white color from tiny air bubbles trapped in the ice crystals. See more at dew point.

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