frosty
See also: Frosty
English
Etymology
From Middle English frosty, forsty, from Old English forstiġ, fyrstiġ (“frosty”), from Proto-West Germanic *frostag, *frustīg, equivalent to frost + -y. Cognate with West Frisian froastich (“frosty”), Dutch vorstig (“frosty”), German Low German fröstig (“frosty”), German frostig (“frosty”), Swedish frostig (“frosty”). Compare also Saterland Frisian froasterch (“frosty”), German Low German frösterg (“frosty”).
Pronunciation
Audio (AU) (file) - Rhymes: -ɒsti
Adjective
frosty (comparative frostier, superlative frostiest)
- Cold, chilly.
- The air was frosty; I could see my breath and walked quickly with my hands in my pockets.
- I'd like a frosty milkshake.
- Having frost on it.
- The frosty pumpkin is the sign of the end of the growing season, soon the greenery will wither and harvest end for the year.
- (figuratively) Having an aloof or inhospitable manner.
- After the divorce, she was civil but frosty to her ex.
Derived terms
- frostily
- frostiness
- frosty one
- stay frosty
- that'll be the frosty Friday
Translations
cold, chilly
|
having frost on it
|
having an aloof or inhospitable manner
|
Middle English
Alternative forms
- forsty, frosti
Etymology
From Old English forstiġ, from Proto-West Germanic *frostag, equivalent to frost + -y. Compare Old English fyrstiġ.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈfrɔstiː/, /ˈfɔrstiː/
Adjective
frosty
- cold, freezing, frosty (being or experiencing cold)
- (rare) white (of a beard)
Descendants
- English: frosty
- Scots: frosty
References
- “frostī, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-11-02.