frostbite

[ frawst-bahyt, frost- ]
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noun
  1. injury to any part of the body after excessive exposure to extreme cold, sometimes progressing from initial redness and tingling to gangrene.

verb (used with object),frost·bit, frost·bit·ten, frost·bit·ing.
  1. to injure by frost or extreme cold.

Origin of frostbite

1
First recorded in 1605–15; frost + bite

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use frostbite in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for frostbite

frostbite

/ (ˈfrɒstˌbaɪt) /


noun
  1. destruction of tissues, esp those of the fingers, ears, toes, and nose, by freezing, characterized by tingling, blister formation, and gangrene

  2. NZ a type of small sailing dinghy

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for frostbite

frostbite

[ frôstbīt′ ]


  1. Damage to a part of the body as a result of exposure to freezing temperatures. It is caused by a loss of blood supply and the formation of ice crystals in the affected body part.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.