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Glite Dictionary
to frost over

to frost over

1 3.2
To get a thin layer of ice on windows or car mirrors
  • phrasal verb
  • /frɔst ˈoʊvər/
translation icon : cubrirse de escarcha
  • The car's heater could not compete with the cold, and the windows began to frost over.
  • windows frosted over

Examples

  • But then I woke one dawn with the windows frosted over.

    Fiction book (2002)

  • They reported that all the cabin windows were frosted over after the night of freezing temperatures.

  • The car's heater could not compete with the cold, and the windows were beginning to frost over.

    Fiction book (1997)

  • The fridge frosted over in winter, dripped incessantly in summer, and now held the oranges and the lime.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • Though the sun hadn't gone down, it was still cold enough to frost over the windshields of the vehicles that sat in the shade.

Synonyms

to freeze
vsto frost over
770 1.0

Become solid because of cold, like water turning to ice

focuses on only a thin surface layer rather than full solidification
to frost
vsto frost over
7 2.2

To cover or become covered with a thin layer of ice in very cold weather

describes only the surface becoming covered, not causing damage
to ice over
vsto frost over
2 3.4

Get covered in ice, for example a pond or window

is about a thin crystal layer rather than a full solid sheet
to ice up
vsto frost over
1 4.3

To form a layer of ice on something, making it slippery

refers to a thin covering rather than a thick coating that impairs use

How Icy

to freeze
770 1.0
to ice over
2 3.4
to frost over
1 3.2

Surface Forms

frost over infinitive
frosted over past
frosted over past participle
frosting over present participle
frosts over third person singular

Morphology

frost + over

The verb 'frost' already means to become covered in ice, and the particle 'over' adds a sense of covering or completion, so the combined meaning 'to become covered with a thin layer of ice' is directly derivable from its parts. This verb+particle compositional pattern is common and cross-linguistically transparent, so a B1 learner who knows both words should understand it.

Etymology

Frost over shows a simple scene: cold air makes tiny ice crystals, so frost spreads over a window or car mirror and covers it. So, the phrase means 'to become covered with a thin layer of ice'.