Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “frost” come from?

Frost comes from Old English frost, from Proto-Germanic frustaz, from Proto-Indo-European prews-, meaning to freeze or burn.

frost (English): A cover of minute ice crystals on objects that...

Definitions

  1. A cover of minute ice crystals on objects that...

Ancestry of “frost”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishfrostCold, freezing, or frosty weather; weather that...
2Old Englishfrost—
3Proto-Indo-Europeanprustósfrost

Words derived from “frost”

  • frosted
  • frosting
  • permafrost
  • frostbite
  • frostbitten
  • defrost
  • defroster
  • frostwork
  • unfrosted
  • frostless
  • frostnip
  • frostproof
  • frostlike
  • frostweed
  • frostfish
  • subpermafrost
  • frosten
  • antifrost
  • frostinglike
  • frostwort
  • frostbird
  • defrostable
  • frost-nail
  • autodefrost
Every word from Proto-Indo-European prustós →