froth

[frawth, froth]

See more synonyms for froth on Thesaurus.com

noun

an aggregation of bubbles, as on an agitated liquid or at the mouth of a hard-driven horse; foam; spume.
a foam of saliva or fluid resulting from disease.
something unsubstantial, trivial, or evanescent: The play was a charming bit of froth.

verb (used with object)

to cover with froth: giant waves frothing the sand.
to cause to foam: to froth egg whites with a whisk.
to emit like froth: a demagogue frothing his hate.

verb (used without object)

to give out froth; foam: frothing at the mouth.

Origin of froth

1350–1400; Middle English frothe < Old Norse frotha froth, scum

Related formsfroth·er, nounout·froth, verb (used with object)un·frothed, adjectiveun·froth·ing, adjective

Synonyms for froth

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3. triviality, frivolity, fluff, nonsense.

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

Related Words for froth

scum, foam, effervescence, head, yeast, scud, spray, spume, suds, fizz, spindrift, barm, ebullition

Examples from the Web for froth

Contemporary Examples of froth

Their surfaces are a froth of magnetic storms, proportionally more violent than the worst weather on the Sun.
The Exoplanet That Wasn’t There
Matthew R. Francis
July 6, 2014
He took a tremendous drink from his cup, the froth sticking to his moustache.
The Fourth War: My Lunch with a Jihadi
Elliot Ackerman
January 21, 2014
As a boy, I watched my grandfather create a froth of lather in that cup, and shave himself with a straight razor.
Scott Turow: How I Write
Noah Charney
October 23, 2013
They need to read tea-leaves, divine the intentions of all and sundry, and work their publics into a froth based on those efforts.
The Case For A Less-Guarded Optimism
Emily L. Hauser
July 30, 2013
And judging from reviews, their froth is one element that is saving the show.
‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ Hits Broadway With Costumes by Colleen Atwood
Misty White Sidell
March 27, 2013

Historical Examples of froth

Heap the froth over every apple so as to conceal them entirely.
Directions for Cookery, in its Various Branches
Eliza Leslie
In damp weather it is sometimes difficult to get the froth stiff.
Directions for Cookery, in its Various Branches
Eliza Leslie
Why, thy wits are like beer, and do froth up most when they grow sour!
The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood
Howard Pyle
At first I only felt bad between the shoulders and spat up some froth.
The Three Cities Trilogy, Complete
Emile Zola
Then whisk your cream up very well, take off the froth with a spoon, and fill the glasses carefully, as full as they will hold.
The Cook and Housekeeper's Complete and Universal Dictionary; Including a System of Modern Cookery, in all Its Various Branches,
Mary Eaton

British Dictionary definitions for froth

froth

noun

a mass of small bubbles of air or a gas in a liquid, produced by fermentation, detergent, etc
a mixture of saliva and air bubbles formed at the lips in certain diseases, such as rabies
trivial ideas, talk, or entertainment

verb

to produce or cause to produce froth
(tr) to give out in the form of froth
(tr) to cover with froth

Derived Formsfrothy, adjectivefrothily, adverbfrothiness, noun

Word Origin for froth

C14: from Old Norse frotha or frauth; related to Old English āfrēothan to foam, Sanskrit prothati he snorts

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 froth

c.1300, from an unrecorded Old English word, or else from Old Norse froða "froth," from Proto-Germanic *freuth-. Old English had afreoðan "to froth," from the same root. The modern derived verb is from late 14c. Related: Frothed; frothing.