frost

1 of 2

noun

1
a
: the process of freezing
b
: a covering of minute ice crystals on a cold surface
also : ice particles formed from a gas
c
: the temperature that causes freezing
2
a
: coldness of deportment or temperament : an indifferent, reserved, or unfriendly manner
b
: failure
the play was … a most dreadful frostArnold Bennett

frost

2 of 2

verb

frosted; frosting; frosts

transitive verb

1
a
: to cover with or as if with frost
especially : to put icing on (cake)
b
: to produce a fine-grained slightly roughened surface on (such as metal or glass)
2
: to injure or kill (plants) by frost
3
: to make angry or irritated
that really frosts me

Examples of frost in a Sentence

Noun The grass was covered with frost. Frost formed on the window. These plants should bloom until the first frost of the season. We had an early frost. Verb The cold had frosted the windows. I have to frost the birthday cake.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
For example, relatively shallow frost depths will mean spring rains will be able to soak into the ground more instead of running off into rivers and streams. Journal Sentinel, 1 Mar. 2024 That's because the last frost date, or the average final spring frost, could be weeks away. The Enquirer, 27 Feb. 2024 Annuals die once frost hits but often not without going to seed to prepare for their next cycle. Tamara Yakaboski, The Denver Post, 26 Feb. 2024 People also shared photos of low thermometer readings inside their homes and even frost build-up on their windows amid heating outages caused by the accidents. Yuliya Talmazan, NBC News, 8 Feb. 2024 The names include center moon – named for the moon occurring roughly in the center of the winter – along with cold moon, frost exploding moon, freeze up moon and severe moon. Doyle Rice, USA TODAY, 23 Jan. 2024 The Farmer's Almanac suggests the final frost date is April 23. The Enquirer, 27 Feb. 2024 Covering outdoor plants with different materials, such as frost cloth, blankets, towels, cardboard boxes, liquid frost protection and Styrofoam cups on cactus. Staff Reports, The Arizona Republic, 23 Feb. 2024 In the dead of winter, an icy frost sometimes settles over the island, and branches strum against each other like violins. Sue Eisenfeld, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Feb. 2024
Verb
The berries are pureed, then strained to remove the seeds before they are added to the frosting, giving it a gorgeous pink hue and smooth texture. Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 11 Mar. 2024 Not just frosting on the cake and background riffs, like is typical with what horn sections do. Melinda Newman, Billboard, 8 Mar. 2024 Use a frosting bag kit to create the colorful rainbow design on top. 07 of 25 Mint Greek Frozen Yogurt View Recipe This healthy St. Patrick’s Day dessert will bring some chill to your holiday. Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Mar. 2024 This style features a soft pink canvas and matching outsole that gets its pastel shade of the famed cupcake’s delicious vanilla frosting, while the baked good’s signature daisy topper is rendered in a playful embroidery pattern. Amber Love Bond, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 With the flick of a switch, the glass walls of the conference room in which Ms. Blouin conducted meetings went from transparent to frosted. Jacob Bernstein, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2024 They are topped with glitter and tahini or grape jelly frosting. Annemarie Dooling, USA TODAY, 29 Feb. 2024 Get The Recipe 07 of 22 Luscious Lemon Cake For a casual look just frost the top of the cake and in between the layers. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 24 Feb. 2024 The dessert, a layered vanilla cake with vanilla frosting, was simply decorated with vintage piping and several black bows — a popular cake trend as of late. Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 21 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'frost.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old High German frost — more at freeze

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1635, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of frost was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near frost

Cite this Entry

“Frost.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frost. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

frost

1 of 2 noun
1
: the temperature that causes freezing
2
: a covering of tiny ice crystals on a cold surface

frost

2 of 2 verb
1
a
: to cover with or as if with frost
especially : to put icing on (as cake)
b
: to give a surface that looks like frost to
2
: to injure or kill by frost : freeze

Biographical Definition

Frost

biographical name

Robert Lee 1874–1963 American poet
Frostian
ˈfrȯ-stē-ən How to pronounce Frost (audio)
ˈfrȯs-chən
adjective

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