Definition of "frost"

frost

/fɹɒst/

noun
countable and uncountable, plural frosts
1. A cover of minute ice crystals on objects that are exposed to the air. Frost is formed by the same process as dew, except that the temperature of the frosted object is below freezing.
2. The cold weather that causes these ice crystals to form.
  Quotations
  Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes.
  1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], Genesis 31:40
  It is more probable, in almost every country of Europe, that there will be frost sometime in January, than that the weather will continue open throughout that whole month;
  1748, David Hume, Enquiries concerning the human understanding and concerning the principles of moral., London: Oxford University Press, published 1973, § 47
3. (figurative) Coldness or insensibility; severity or rigidity of character.
  Quotations
  It was one of those moments of intense feeling when the frost of the Scottish people melts like a snow-wreath.
  1815 February 24, [Walter Scott], Guy Mannering; or, The Astrologer. […], volumes (please specify |volume=I to III), Edinburgh: […] James Ballantyne and Co. for Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, […]; and Archibald Constable and Co., […]
4. (obsolete) The act of freezing; the congelation of water or other liquid.
5. A shade of white, like that of frost.
6. (slang, dated) A disappointment; a cheat.
7. (television) A kind of light diffuser.
  Quotations
  Frosts and diffusion are flame retardant and produce similar results except that some of the frosts are very subtle in their effects. For example: Hamburg Frost will soften the beam edge with little additional spread of the beam.
  2013, Alan Bermingham, Location Lighting for Television, pages 9–26
verb
third-person singular simple present frosts, present participle frosting, simple past and past participle frosted
1. (transitive) To cover with frost.
2. (intransitive) To become covered with frost.
3. (transitive) To coat (something, e.g. a cake) with icing to resemble frost.
4. (transitive, informal) To anger or annoy.
5. (transitive) To sharpen (the points of a horse's shoe) to prevent it from slipping on ice.
6. (transitive) To bleach individual strands of hair while leaving adjacent strands untouched.

Definition of "frost"

frost

noun

Quotations

Quotations

Quotations

verb