frost

frost — noun

1. the white icy coating that appears on outdoor surfaces — like grass, car windows

1.nounB1
Definition

the white icy coating that appears on outdoor surfaces — like grass, car windows, and rooftops — during nights cold enough for water to freeze

Example

A thick layer of frost covered the grass when Hiro went for his morning run.

collocation: thick layer of frost / covered with frost

Padma scraped the frost off her car windscreen before driving to work.

verb pattern: scrape off / remove frost

Common collocations
  • thick frost
  • heavy frost
  • hard frost
  • white frost
  • frost on the grass/window/ground
  • covered in frost
  • covered with frost
Synonyms
  • hoarfrost

    literary or technical term for a white feathery frost that forms in very cold, still conditions

  • rime

    technical term for frost that forms when supercooled water droplets freeze onto surfaces, creating a rough icy coating

Antonyms
  • dew

    water droplets that form on cool surfaces when the temperature stays above freezing

Grammar Patterns

frost + on + [surface]

[adjective] + frost

Usage Note

Often paired with adjectives indicating amount or severity: 'light frost', 'heavy frost', 'hard frost'. When saying an object IS covered in frost, use 'covered with/in frost'.

Common Mistakes

There was a frost on the grass this morning.' (acceptable but vague)
There was a thick layer of frost on the grass this morning.
native speakers typically specify the amount or severity.

2. a stretch of cold weather during which temperatures reach zero degrees Celsius o

2.nounB1
Definition

a stretch of cold weather during which temperatures reach zero degrees Celsius or lower, often producing ice on surfaces and damaging unprotected plants

Example

Early frosts in October can destroy a farmer's entire vegetable crop for the season.

countable plural: frosts / collocation: early frost

The weather forecast warned of frost overnight, so Esteban brought the potted plants indoors.

collocation: warned of frost

Common collocations
  • early frost
  • late frost
  • spring frost
  • hard frost
  • killing frost
  • light frost
  • degrees of frost
  • frost warning
  • frost damage
Synonyms
  • freeze

    a period of freezing weather, often more severe or prolonged than a frost

  • freezing

    the condition of being at or below 0°C, used more generally for cold weather

Antonyms
  • thaw

    a period of warmer weather that melts ice and snow

Grammar Patterns

[adjective] + frost

a + [adjective] + frost

[number] + degrees of frost

Usage Note

In British English, 'degrees of frost' is used to say how many degrees below freezing the temperature is (e.g., 'five degrees of frost' = -5°C). In American English, 'freezing weather' or 'below-freezing temperatures' is more common.

Common Mistakes

The temperature is 5 degrees of frost.
It was five degrees of frost last night.
The phrase is used to describe a period of cold, not a current temperature reading.
Idioms

Robert Frost

idiom

1874–1963, an award-winning American poet known for his realistic depictions of rural life in New England and his use of everyday language. His most famous poems include 'The Road Not Taken' and 'Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.'

Robert Frost won four Pulitzer Prizes for Poetry during his lifetime, more than any other American poet.

Students in literature classes often read Frost's poem 'The Road Not Taken' and discuss whether the speaker regrets his choice.

frost — verb

Word family

  • frosty
    adjectiveB1
  • frostily
    adverbC1
  • frostiness
    nounC1
  • frosting
    nounB2
  • defrost
    verbB1
  • frostbitten
    adjectiveC1
  • frostbite
    nounC1
  • unfrosted
    adjectiveC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Frost, hoarfrost, rime, and freeze all relate to cold weather, but they describe different phenomena. 'Frost' is the general everyday term for the white ice crystals that form on cold surfaces. 'Hoarfrost' is a more literary or technical word for a delicate, feathery frost that appears on clear, still nights — it looks like white fur on branches and fences. 'Rime' is a technical term used in meteorology for the rough, icy coating that forms when supercooled water droplets in fog freeze onto surfaces, such as trees on a mountain; it is thicker and icier than ordinary frost. 'Freeze' refers to the weather condition itself (the temperature staying below 0°C) rather than a visible ice layer on surfaces. For everyday conversation about the white ice on your car windscreen or grass, 'frost' is the right choice. For poetic descriptions of a winter landscape, 'hoarfrost' adds atmosphere. A weather forecaster might say 'There was a hard frost overnight', not 'There was hoarfrost overnight.'

frost ↗hoarfrostrimefreeze ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • frost and ice
  • frost and snow
  • frost and freeze
  • degrees of frost

Prepositions

Etymology

Proto-Indo-EuropeanProto-GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'frost' comes from Old English 'forst' or 'frost', which has ancient Germanic roots going back to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'to freeze' or 'to become cold'. It is related to the Old High German 'frost', Old Norse 'frost', and Gothic 'frius' (cold). The verb form developed naturally from the noun in Old English times. The cooking sense (to frost a cake) appeared in American English around the mid-1800s, while the hair-colouring sense emerged in the 20th century.