frost
Top
(frôst, frŏst) 
n.
v., frost·ed, frost·ing, frosts. v.tr.
To become covered with or as if with frost.
n.
- A deposit of minute ice crystals formed when water vapor condenses at a temperature below freezing.
- A temperature low enough to cause freezing.
- The process of freezing.
- A cold or icy manner.
v., frost·ed, frost·ing, frosts. v.tr.
- To cover with frost.
- To damage or kill by frost.
- To cover (glass, for example) with a roughened or speckled decorative surface.
- To cover or decorate with icing: frost a cake.
- Slang. To anger or upset: What really frosted me about the incident was the fact that you lied.
To become covered with or as if with frost.
[Middle English, from Old English.]
Top
Atmospheric moisture that crystallizes directly on the ground and on exposed objects. The term also refers to the occurrence of subfreezing temperatures that affect plants and crops. Frost crystals, sometimes called hoarfrost in the aggregate, form when water vapour in the atmosphere passes into the ice-crystal phase without going through the intermediate liquid phase. Frost forms under conditions that would form dew if the temperature were above freezing. In agriculture, frost refers to the freezing of the water in plant cells, which causes the cells to burst and thereby destroys the plant.
For more information on frost, visit Britannica.com.
A covering of ice in one of several forms produced by the freezing of supercooled water droplets on objects colder than 32°F (0°C). The partial or complete killing of vegetation, by freezing or by temperatures somewhat above freezing for certain sensitive plants, also is called frost. Air temperatures below 32°F (0°C) sometimes are reported as “degrees of frost”; thus, 10°F (−12°C) is 22 degrees of frost (this usage is confined to the Fahrenheit scale and is not applied to Celsius temperatures).
Frost forms in exactly the same manner as dew except that the individual droplets that condense in the air a fraction of an inch from a subfreezing object are themselves supercooled, that is, colder than 32°F (0°C). When the droplets touch the cold object, they freeze immediately into individual crystals. When additional droplets freeze as soon as the previous ones are frozen, and hence are still close to the melting point because all the heat of fusion has not been dissipated, amorphous frost or rime results.
At more rapid rates of condensation, the drops form a thin layer of liquid before freezing, and glaze or glazed frost (“window ice” on house windows, “clear ice” on aircraft) generally follows. Glaze formation on plants, buildings and other structures, and especially on wires sometimes is called an ice storm, a silver frost storm, or thaw.
At slower deposition rates, such that each crystal cools well below the melting point before the next joins it, true crystalline or hoar frosts form. These include fernlike assemblages on snow surfaces, called surface hoar; similar feathery plumes in cold buildings, caves, and crevasses, called depth hoar; and the common window frost or ice flowers on house windows.
Killing frosts or freezes damage or kill vegetation depending on their duration and their intensity, that is, how far the plant temperatures go below 32°F (0°C). Such conditions result from advection of much colder air, which then cools the plants, as in the infamous cold waves of the north-central United States; or from radiational cooling of the plants themselves, by long-wave radiation to clear skies at night. In either case, the extent to which plant fluids freeze determines the severity of the frost. See also Air temperature; Dew; Dew point.
Top
Top
Frozen dew or fog forming at, or near ground level. Black frost, as the name suggests, is a thin sheet of frost without the white colour usually associated with frost.
Air below 0 °C is air frost. Hoar frost, or rime, is a thick coating of white ice crystals on vegetation and other surfaces. Ground frost occurs when the air at ground level is chilled below freezing point.
Frost hazard on roads is most common in maritime climates, such as in Scandinavia and the British Isles, where rainfall is regular and winter temperatures oscillate unpredictably around 0 °C, and while salt is an effective de-icing agent it damages both road surfaces and vehicle bodies. Frost is also an agricultural hazard; in 1971 the annual frost loss in the USA was estimated at $1.1 billion. Measures such as direct heating of orchards with oil burners and the use of wind machines may prevent frost damage. The most effective response, however, is the choice of a frost-free site. See frost pocket.
The action (or result of such action) of the freezing of water vapor on a surface (e.g., the ground) that is colder than 32°F (0°C).
Columbia Encyclopedia:
Top
frost
frost or hoarfrost, ice formed by the condensation of atmospheric water vapor on a surface when the temperature of the surface is below 32°F (0°C). In the formation of frost, a gas (water vapor) is changed directly to a solid (see dew). Frost often appears as a light feathery deposit of ice, often of a curious and delicate pattern. The dates on which killing frosts (frost destructive to vegetation and staple agricultural products) occur vary considerably. Maps showing the growing season and the probable date of occurrence of frost may be obtained from the U.S. National Weather Service. The Weather Service stations issue warnings when frost is likely to occur; such warnings are broadcast by radio and are telegraphed or telephoned to farmers and fruitgrowers, who may protect their crops accordingly. Methods of protection vary: small flower beds and vegetable gardens are commonly protected by a screen or cloth that prevents excessive radiation from the earth and from the plants; in orchards, especially in California and Florida, simple oil-burning stoves or smudge pots placed at intervals throughout an orchard are used to heat and circulate the air sufficiently to prevent frost. Valleys are more subject to frosts than slopes, since cold air "slides" downhill and settles in depressions; orchards and citrus fruit groves are usually planted on slopes. Other factors in the occurrence of frost are altitude, latitude, proximity to large bodies of water, and other determinants of temperature. Frost, an element of climate, is an important agent of erosion. Frost heaving, an upthrust of ground caused by freezing, is a factor of consideration in engineering construction, especially in highway foundations. Frost is also a factor in the layer by layer mechanical weathering (exfoliation) of many types of rock masses. In England the word frost denotes freezing weather and degrees of frost means the number of degrees that the temperature falls below the freezing point.
Bibliography
See R. L. Berg and E. Wright Frost Action and Its Control (1984).
McGraw-Hill Slang Dictionary:
Top
frosted (over)
mod. angry; annoyed. The clerk was really frosted over when I asked for a better one.
Word Tutor:
Top
frost
IN BRIEF: A covering of tiny crystals on a cold surface. Also: To put icing on a cake.
Last night, there came a frost, which has done great damage to my garden.
— Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864).
LearnThatWord.com is a free vocabulary and spelling program where you only pay for results!
Top
Crystals of ice formed like dew but at a temperature below freezing.
Top
frost
verb British to steal a car whose engine has been left running while the owner de-ices the windscreen
frosting noun
verb British to steal a car whose engine has been left running while the owner de-ices the windscreen
frosting noun
Another warning was issued by insurers against 'frosting'... A spokesperson for Sainsbury's bank said 27,000 cars a year over the past five years had been 'frosted' (The Guardian)
| frigmarole, friction party, frenemy | |
| function creep, gaymer, gee-gee |
Top
noun
noun, orig theatrical
A failure. (1886 —) .
R. Lindner Look, Doc. This analysis is a frost, isn't it? (1955).
[Perh. from the notion of getting a cool reception.]
noun, orig theatrical
A failure. (1886 —) .
R. Lindner Look, Doc. This analysis is a frost, isn't it? (1955).
[Perh. from the notion of getting a cool reception.]
| frosh, front burner, front | |
| frozen limit, fruit, fruit salad |
Top
1. a deposit of frozen dew.
2. a deposit resembling frozen dew or vapor.
- f. (1) studs — large-headed horseshoe nails that protrude below the horseshoe, or special studs fitted to the shoe itself, that give better grip on the ice. Called also calks, calkins, cogs.
- urea f. (2) — the appearance on the skin of salt crystals left by evaporation of the sweat in urhidrosis.
Random House Word Menu:
Top
categories related to 'frost'
- Disasters and Phenomena - frost: minute ice crystals that form on surfaces; hoar
See crossword solutions for the clue
Top
For other uses, see Frost (disambiguation).
 |
It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Hard frost. (Discuss) Proposed since April 2011. |
 |
This article includes a list of references, but its sources remain unclear because it has insufficient inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (January 2011) |
Frost is the solid deposition of water vapor from saturated air. It is formed when solid surfaces are cooled to below the dew point of the adjacent air as well as below the freezing point of water.[1] Frost crystals' size differ depending on time and water vapour available. Frost is also usually translucent in appearance. There are many types of frost, such as radiation and window frost. Frost causes economic damage when it destroys plants or hanging fruits.
|
Contents
|
Formation
If a solid surface is chilled below the dew point of the surrounding air and the surface itself is colder than freezing, frost will form on the surface. Frost consists of spicules of ice which grow out from the solid surface. The size of the crystals depends on time, temperature, and the amount of water vapor available. Based on wind direction, "Frost arrows" might form.
In general, for frost to form the deposition surface must be colder than the surrounding air. For instance frost may be observed around cracks in cold wooden sidewalks when moist air escapes from the ground below. Other objects on which frost tends to form are those with low specific heat or high thermal emissivity, such as blackened metals; hence the accumulation of frost on the heads of rusty nails. The apparently erratic occurrence of frost in adjacent localities is due partly to differences of elevation, the lower areas becoming colder on calm nights. It is also affected by differences in absorptivity and specific heat of the ground which in the absence of wind greatly influences the temperature attained by the superincumbent air.
The formation of frost is an example of meteorological deposition.
Types
Hoar frost
Hoar frost (also called radiation frost or hoarfrost or pruina) refers to the white ice crystals, loosely deposited on the ground or exposed objects, that form on cold clear nights when heat losses into the open skies cause objects to become colder than the surrounding air. A related effect is flood frost which occurs when air cooled by ground-level radiation losses travels downhill to form pockets of very cold air in depressions, valleys, and hollows. Hoar frost can form in these areas even when the air temperature a few feet above ground is well above freezing. Nonetheless the frost itself will be at or below the freezing temperature of water.
Hoar frost may have different names depending on where it forms. For example, air hoar is a deposit of hoar frost on objects above the surface, such as tree branches, plant stems, wires; surface hoar is formed by fernlike ice crystals directly deposited on snow, ice or already frozen surfaces; crevasse hoar consists of crystals that form in glacial crevasses where water vapour can accumulate under calm weather conditions; depth hoar refers to cup shaped, faceted crystals formed within dry snow, beneath the surface.
The name hoar comes from Old English and can be used as an adjective for showing signs of old age in reference to the frost which makes trees and bushes look like elderly white hair. It may also have association with hawthorn when covered in its characteristic white spring blossom.
Surface hoar is a cause of avalanches when it forms on top of snow. Conditions are ideal for the formation of hoarfrost on cold clear nights, with a very light wind that is able to circulate more humidified air around the snow surface. Wind that is too abrupt will destroy the crystals. When buried by subsequent snows they may remain standing for easy identification, or become laid down, but still dangerous because of the weakness of the crystals. In low temperatures surface hoar can also be broken apart and blown across the surface forming yukimarimo.
Hoar frost also occurs around man-made environments such as freezers or industrial cold storage facilities. It occurs in adjacent rooms that are not well insulated against the cold or around entry locations where humidity and moisture will enter and freeze instantly depending on the freezer temperature.
Advection frost
Advection frost (also called wind frost) refers to tiny ice spikes forming when there is a very cold wind blowing over branches of trees, poles and other surfaces. It looks like rimming the edge of flowers and leaves and usually it forms against the direction of the wind. It can occur at any hour of day and night.
Frost flowers
Frost flowers occur when there is a freezing weather condition but the ground is not already frozen. The water contained in the plant stem expands and causes long cracks along the stem. Water, via capillary action, goes out from the cracks and freezes on contact with the air. Also the frost can literally look like a flower, even a dead flower from the previous summer. These are rare and wonderful to see as they are very delicate and last usually less than a day. Due to their fleeting nature, they are difficult to find to photograph and the locations of these Frost Flowers are elusive as terrain plays a big part in their formation as well.
Window frost
Window frost (also called fern frost or ice flowers) forms when a glass pane is exposed to very cold air on the outside and moderately moist air on the inside. If the pane is not a good insulator (such as a single pane window), water vapour condenses on the glass forming patterns. With very low temperatures outside frost can appear on the bottom of the window even with double pane energy efficient windows, due to air convection between two panes of glass. The bottom part of the glazing unit is always colder than the top part. The glass surface influences the shape of crystals, so imperfections, scratches or dust can modify the way ice nucleates. If the indoor air is very humid, rather than moderately so, water will first condense in small droplets and then freeze into clear ice.
White frost
White frost is a solid deposition of ice which forms directly from water vapour contained in air. White frost forms when there is a relative humidity above 90% and a temperature below –8 °C (18 °F) and it grows against the wind direction, since arriving windward air has a higher humidity than leeward air, but the wind must not be very strong in order not to damage the delicately built icy structures. These structures resemble a heavy coating of hoar frost with big and interlocking crystals, usually needle-shaped.
Rime
Rime is a type of ice deposition that occurs quickly, often under conditions of heavily saturated air and windy conditions. Technically speaking, it is not a type of frost, since usually supercooled water drops are involved, in contrast to the formation of hoar frost, in which water vapour condenses slowly and directly. Ships travelling through Arctic seas may accumulate rime on the rigging. Unlike hoar frost, which has a feathery appearance, rime generally has an icy solid appearance.
Effect on plants
Overview
Many plants can be damaged or killed by freezing temperatures or frost. This varies with the type of plant and tissue exposed to low temperatures.
Tender plants, like tomatoes, die when they are exposed to frost. Hardy plants, like radish, tolerate lower temperatures. Hardy perennials, such as Hosta, become dormant after the first frosts and regrow when spring arrives. The entire visible plant may turn completely brown until the spring warmth, or may drop all of its leaves and flowers, leaving the stem and stalk only. Evergreen plants, such as pine trees, withstand frost although all or most growth stops. Frost crack is a bark defect caused by a combination of low temperatures and heat from the winter sun.
Vegetation is not necessarily damaged when leaf temperatures drop below the freezing point of their cell contents. In the absence of a site nucleating the formation of ice crystals, the leaves remain in a supercooled liquid state, safely reaching temperatures of −4°C to −12°C. However, once frost forms, the leaf cells may be damaged by sharp ice crystals. Hardening is the process by which a plant becomes tolerant to low temperatures. See also cryobiology.
Certain bacteria, notably Pseudomonas syringae, are particularly effective at triggering frost formation, raising the nucleation temperature to about −2°C.[2] Bacteria lacking ice nucleation-active proteins (ice-minus bacteria) result in greatly reduced frost damage.[3]
Protection methods
The selective inverted sink[4] prevents frost by drawing cold air from the ground and blowing it up through a chimney. It was originally developed to prevent frost damage to citrus fruits in Uruguay.
In New Zealand, helicopters are used in a similar function, especially in the vineyard regions like Marlborough. By dragging down warmer air from the inversion layers, and preventing the ponding of colder air on the ground, the low-flying helicopters prevent damage to the fruit buds. As the operations are conducted at night, and have in the past involved up to 130 aircraft per night in one region, safety rules are strict.[5]
An effective low cost method used in some small crop farms and plant nurseries, exploits a property of water known as latent heat of fusion. By use of a pulsed irrigation timer,[6] existing overhead sprinklers may be used to deliver water at a low average precipitation rate ranging from 2.5 to 5ml/Hour for frosts down to -5deg. C.[6][7] As the water is deposited on the foliage it freezes, giving off its latent heat and preventing the temperature of the foliage falling below zero.[7]
Personifications
Further information: Ded Moroz and Father Frost (fairy tale)
Frost is personified in Russian culture as Ded Moroz. Indigenous peoples of Russia such as the Mordvins have their own traditions of frost deities.
English folklore tradition holds that Jack Frost, an elfish creature, is responsible for feathery patterns of frost found on windows on cold mornings.
Gallery
- Frost
-
Air Hoar on pine branches -
Frost on a nettle -
Rime frost -
Large feathery crystals -
Frost on branches -
Fern Frost on a Window -
Frost on plant leaves in the Himalayas
See also
- Frost (temperature)
- Ground frost
- Black ice
- Frostbite
- Frost heaving
- Frost line
- Hard frost
- Icing (nautical)
- Needle ice
- Rime: soft/hard
References
- ^ "What causes frost?". http://www.weatherquestions.com/What_causes_frost.htm. Retrieved 2007-12-05.
- ^ Maki LR, Galyan EL, Chang-Chien MM, Caldwell DR (1974). "Ice Nucleation Induced by Pseudomonas syringae". Applied Microbiology 28 (3): 456–459. PMC 186742. PMID 4371331. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pmcentrez&artid=186742.
- ^ Lindow, Stephen E.; Deane C. Arny, Christen D. Upper (October 1982). "Bacterial Ice Nucleation: A Factor in Frost Injury to Plants". Plant Physiology 70 (4): 1084–1089. doi:10.1104/pp.70.4.1084. PMC 1065830. PMID 16662618. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pmcentrez&artid=1065830.
- ^ Selective Inverted Sink Rolex Awards site (won award in Technology and Innovation category) 1998.
- ^ Helicopters Fight Frost - Vector, Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand, September / October 2008, Page 8-9
- ^ a b "A practical method of frost protection". http://plantsale.com.au/Articles/FrostProtection. Retrieved 31 October 2011.
- ^ a b Selders, Arthur W.. "Frost protection with sprinkler irrigation". West Virginia university. http://www.wvu.edu/~agexten/hortcult/fruits/om101.pdf. Retrieved 31 October 2011.
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Frost |
 |
Look up frost in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
Translations:
Top
Frost
Dansk (Danish)
n. - frost, kulde, fiasko
v. tr. - glasere med sukker, dække med rimfrost, frostskade, mattere
v. intr. - fryse til
idioms:
- degrees of frost frostgrader
Nederlands (Dutch)
vorst, vriespunt, koud gedrag/karakter, flop, rijp, met rijp/ suikerglazuur bedekken, mat maken (van glas/ metaal etc.), (beschadigen door) bevriezen, boos maken/ worden, grijs maken (haar), met spijkers beslaan tegen glijden
Français (French)
n. - gel, givre, gelée
v. tr. - givrer, glacer, geler (un arbre fruitier), dépolir (le verre), (Culin) glacer
v. intr. - se givrer, se couvrir de givre
idioms:
- degrees of frost température au-dessous de zéro
Deutsch (German)
n. - Reif, Frost, Frostigkeit, (Slang) Mißerfolg
v. - mit Reif überziehen, mattieren, glasieren
idioms:
- degrees of frost Grad minus
Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - παγετός, παγωνιά, πάχνη
v. - καλύπτω/-ομαι με πάχνη ή παγοκρυστάλλους, (για τζάμια κ.λπ.) θολώνω, θαμπώνω, καίω (φυτά), πασπαλίζω με ζάχαρη
idioms:
- degrees of frost (Βρετ.) βαθμοί θερμοκρασίας κάτω του μηδενός
Italiano (Italian)
brina, gelo, congelare
idioms:
- degrees of frost gradi sotto zero
Português (Portuguese)
n. - geada (f)
v. - gear, cobrir (bolo)
idioms:
- degrees of frost temperatura (f) abaixo de zero
Русский (Russian)
мороз, иней, суровость, холод, покрываться инеем, посыпать сахаром
idioms:
- degrees of frost градусов мороза
Español (Spanish)
n. - escarcha, helada
v. tr. - helar, congelar, cubrir de escarcha
v. intr. - helarse, cubrirse de escarcha
idioms:
- degrees of frost grados bajo cero
Svenska (Swedish)
n. - frost, bakslag
v. - frostskada, bekläda med frost, brodda (hästar), glasera (med socker), mattslipa, göra hår vitt (poet.)
中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
霜, 冷漠, 冰冻, 覆着霜, 结霜, 冻结, 受冻, 起霜
idioms:
- degrees of frost 冰点以下之度数
中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 霜, 冷漠, 冰凍
v. tr. - 覆著霜, 結霜, 凍結
v. intr. - 受凍, 起霜
idioms:
- degrees of frost 冰點以下之度數
한국어 (Korean)
n. - 한기, 서리, 결빙, 냉담함
v. tr. - 서리로 덮다
v. intr. - 얼다, 서리가 내리다
日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 霜, 霜が降りること, 寒さ, 氷結, 失敗, 不評, 凍結, 冷たさ
v. - 霜で覆う, 凍らせる, 霜枯れにさせる, つや消しにする, 糖衣で覆う
idioms:
- degrees of frost 華氏氷点下
العربيه (Arabic)
(الاسم) صقيع , تجمد (فعل) يتجمد
עברית (Hebrew)
n. - קור, כפור, כישלון, אירוע משעמם
v. tr. - השמיד בכפור, עימם זכוכית, איבק (בסוכר), זיגג
v. intr. - כוסה כפור
If you are unable to view some languages clearly, click here.
Post a question - any question - to the WikiAnswers community:
Copyrights:
American Heritage Dictionary
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Read more
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 1994-2012 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more
McGraw-Hill Science & Technology Encyclopedia
McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology. Copyright © 2005 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Read more
Barron's Food Lover's Companion
Food Lover's Companion. Copyright © 2001 by Barron's Educational Series, Inc. All rights reserved.
Read more
Oxford Dictionary of Geography
A Dictionary of Geography. Copyright © Susan Mayhew 1992, 1997, 2004. All rights reserved.
Read more
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Architecture & Construction
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Architecture and Construction. Copyright © 2003 by McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Read more
Columbia Encyclopedia
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/.
Read more
McGraw-Hill Slang Dictionary
McGraw-Hill's Essential American Slang Dictionary. Copyright © 2007 by McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Read more
Word Tutor
Copyright © 2004-present by eSpindle Learning, a 501(c) nonprofit organization. All rights reserved.
eSpindle provides personalized spelling and vocabulary tutoring online; sign up free. Read more
eSpindle provides personalized spelling and vocabulary tutoring online; sign up free. Read more
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Aviation
An Illustrated Dictionary of Aviation.. Copyright © 2005 by McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Read more
HarperCollins Neologism Dictionary
I Smirt, You Stooze, they Krump: Can You Still Speak English? © 2006
HarperCollins Publishers
All rights reserved.
Read more
Oxford Dictionary of Modern Slang
Oxford University Press. © 1997, 2008, 2010
All rights reserved.
Read more
Saunders Veterinary Dictionary
Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary 3rd Edition. Copyright © 2007 by D.C. Blood, V.P. Studdert and C.C. Gay, Elsevier. All rights reserved.
Read more
Random House Word Menu
© 2010 Write Brothers Inc. Word Menu is a registered trademark of the Estate of Stephen Glazier.
Write Brothers Inc.
All rights reserved.
Read more
Bradford's Crossword Solver's Dictionary
Collins Bradford's Crossword Solver's Dictionary © Anne Bradford, 1986, 1993, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2008
HarperCollins Publishers
All rights reserved.
Read more
Wikipedia on Answers.com
This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Frost.
Read more
