frostbite

[frawst-bahyt, frost-]

See more synonyms for frostbite on Thesaurus.com

noun

injury to any part of the body after excessive exposure to extreme cold, sometimes progressing from initial redness and tingling to gangrene.

verb (used with object), frost·bit, frost·bit·ten, frost·bit·ing.

to injure by frost or extreme cold.

Origin of frostbite

First recorded in 1605–15; frost + bite

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for frostbite

snow, chill, frost, refrigeration, rawness, ague, iciness, freeze, coldness, draft, frigidity, shivering, inclemency, congelation, glaciation, frostbite, wintertime, algor, wintriness

Examples from the Web for frostbite

Contemporary Examples of frostbite

Let's hope he didn't get frostbite - here's the science of getting naked in antarctica.
Nude At The South Pole, It's Alexander Skarsgard, NOT Prince Harry (This Time!)
Tom Sykes
January 10, 2014
They can also give you frostbite on your face or even kill you.
Everything You Never Wanted to Know About Whip-Its
Winston Ross
March 22, 2013
In a fall show dubbed "frostbite," Jenden sent cool, sleek concoctions down the runway.
London's New Look
Alisa Gould-Simon
February 27, 2009

Historical Examples of frostbite

Except for a touch of frostbite on his toes and fingers, Barrent was all right.
The Status Civilization
Robert Sheckley
Pymia and frostbite were the other chief causes of mortality.
Under the Red Crescent
Charles S. Ryan
Some typical cases of frostbite were grotesque in their ghastliness.
Under the Red Crescent
Charles S. Ryan
For this reason we believe that scurvy may predispose to frostbite.
Scurvy Past and Present
Alfred Fabian Hess
They had not been able to frostbite her yet because she had been too young; but they would get her presently.
The Pastor's Wife
Elizabeth von Arnim

British Dictionary definitions for frostbite

frostbite

noun

destruction of tissues, esp those of the fingers, ears, toes, and nose, by freezing, characterized by tingling, blister formation, and gangrene
NZ a type of small sailing dinghy

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

Word Origin and History for frostbite

also frost-bite, 1813, from frost (n.) + bite (n.).

frostbite in Medicine

frostbite

[frôst′bīt′]

Injury or destruction of skin and underlying tissue, most often that of the nose, ears, fingers, or toes, resulting from prolonged exposure to freezing or subfreezing temperatures.

frostbite in Science

frostbite

[frôst′bīt′]

Damage to a part of the body as a result of exposure to freezing temperatures. It is caused by a loss of blood supply and the formation of ice crystals in the affected body part.