froth

1 of 2

noun

plural froths ˈfrȯths How to pronounce froth (audio)
ˈfrȯt͟hz
1
a
: bubbles formed in or on a liquid : foam
b
: a foamy slaver sometimes accompanying disease or exhaustion
2
: something resembling froth (as in being unsubstantial, worthless, or light and airy)
frothed; frothing; froths

intransitive verb

1
: to foam at the mouth
2
: to throw froth out or up
3
: to become covered with or as if with froth
whole groves froth with nodding blossomsAmy Lovejoy

transitive verb

1
: to cause to foam
2
: to cover with froth
3
: vent, voice

Examples of froth in a Sentence

Noun news shows full of froth froth on the ocean waves Verb The water frothed as the waves broke along the shore.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Manual frothers are great for the barista who likes to control their foam, watching as their own handiwork creates just the right amount of froth. Alyssa Brascia, Peoplemag, 22 Aug. 2023 The hope is to sell the venture as soon as possible to a strategic buyer who does not look below the hood, or to take the company public if the public markets are in a state of froth due to cheap money. Dileep Rao, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024 The designers only saw Diana wearing both dress and veil at the final fitting in Buckingham Palace, because there was too much froth to fit into the Emanuels’ tiny showroom. Alice Newbold, Vogue, 5 Dec. 2023 Cappuccino milk takes 1 minute and 35 seconds, the latte takes just over 2 minutes, and the iced latte setting produces a cool froth in under 2 minutes. Rennie Dyball, Peoplemag, 22 Sep. 2023 While some bars use substances like agar-agar and xanthan gum to create eggless foams and froths, some of those require nitrous-oxide siphons or other equipment. M. Carrie Allan, Charlotte Observer, 29 Jan. 2024 European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde will likely push back Thursday against expectations for quick interest rate cuts even as Europe’s economy sputters and financial markets froth in hopes of cheaper credit that would boost business activity and stock prices. David McHugh, Fortune Europe, 25 Jan. 2024 The result is that Garvey’s candidacy creates froth but does not alter the fundamentals. Jim Newton, The Mercury News, 21 Jan. 2024 The oat foam performed particularly very well in the froth test, holding up nicely after the initial pour and remaining voluminous after the bubbles settled. Alyssa Brascia, Peoplemag, 16 Oct. 2023
Verb
Far below, the cove opened onto dark-blue waves that frothed up against the land. Sanaë Lemoine, Harper's Magazine, 2 Feb. 2024 While the city has been frothing with excitement, the Lions team has been preaching taking care of business throughout the week, refusing to get ahead of themselves against a Buccaneers team in a groove at the right time. Jared Ramsey, Detroit Free Press, 21 Jan. 2024 For three days, as a fierce wind whipped the water outside the windows into frothing whitecaps, the group sat through a series of talks, most of them by two mathematicians from Stony Brook University in New York: Misha Lyubich and Dima Dudko. Quanta Magazine, 26 Jan. 2024 Crypto investors have been frothing about this — because in order to back their funds, the companies that issue ETFs will have to buy matching amounts of Bitcoin. Elizabeth Lopatto, The Verge, 10 Jan. 2024 The system delivers milk frothed to the perfect texture and dispensed at the perfect temperature to coincide with your drink, all without a hint of learning curve. Popular Science, 29 Nov. 2023 Plus, there’s also a special function to froth your milk and deliver the most velvety smooth top to your morning coffee. Kathy Barr, Rolling Stone, 11 Oct. 2023 Beckwith observed that their canoe was sliding toward the middle of the creek, which was frothing like a Jacuzzi. Ben McGrath, The New Yorker, 2 Oct. 2023 Photogenic cascades froth down the sides of the hills, passing below our tracks and flowing into the river. Mark Orwoll, Travel + Leisure, 5 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'froth.' 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 Norse frotha; akin to Old English āfrēothan to froth

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of froth was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near froth

Cite this Entry

“Froth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/froth. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

froth

1 of 2 noun
plural froths
1
a
: bubbles formed in or on a liquid
b
: the foam produced by saliva in certain diseases or nervous excitement
2
: something of little value
frothily
ˈfrȯ-thə-lē
adverb
frothiness
-thē-nəs
noun
frothy
-thē
adjective

froth

2 of 2 verb
1
: to foam at the mouth
2
: to produce or form froth

Medical Definition

froth

1 of 2 noun
plural froths ˈfrȯths How to pronounce froth (audio) ˈfrȯt͟hz How to pronounce froth (audio)
: a foamy slaver sometimes accompanying disease or exhaustion

froth

2 of 2 transitive verb
: to foam at the mouth

More from Merriam-Webster on froth

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!