# frost

> English word · Noun · IPA /fɹɒst/ · frequency rank #7,693

## Definitions
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.
3. Coldness or insensibility; severity or rigidity of character.
4. The act of freezing; the congelation of water or other liquid.
5. A shade of white, like that of frost.
6. A disappointment; a cheat.
7. A kind of light diffuser.

## Etymology
From Middle English frost, from an unmetathesized variant of Old English forst (“frost”), from Proto-Germanic *frustaz (“frost”), from Proto-Indo-European *prews- (“to freeze; frost”).
Cognate with Saterland Frisian Froast, Fröäst (“frost”), West Frisian froast (“frost”), Cimbrian bròst, vrost, vròst (“frost”), Dutch vorst (“frost”), German Frost (“frost”), Luxembourgish Frascht (“frost”), Vilamovian fröst (“frost”), Danish, Faroese, Icelandic, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, Swedish frost (“frost”), Latin pruīna (“hoarfrost, frost, rime, snow”). Related to freeze.

## Easily confused with
- **fruit** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/frost-vs-fruit)
- **froze** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/frost-vs-froze)
- **frown** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/frost-vs-frown)
- **froth** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/frost-vs-froth)
- **frosty** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/frost-vs-frosty)
- **frosted** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/frost-vs-frosted)
- **fro** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fro-vs-frost)
- **from** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/from-vs-frost)
- **fast** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fast-vs-frost)
- **foot** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/foot-vs-frost)
- **fort** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fort-vs-frost)
- **fist** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fist-vs-frost)
- **frog** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/frog-vs-frost)
- **font** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/font-vs-frost)
- **fest** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fest-vs-frost)
- **fret** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fret-vs-frost)
- **frat** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/frat-vs-frost)
- **FOSS** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/foss-vs-frost)
- **first** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/first-vs-frost)
- **front** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/front-vs-frost)

## Common misspellings (8)
`ffrost`, `forst`, `frosst`, `frostt`, `frots`, `frrost`, `frsot`, `rfost`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/frost