Hoarfrost: a funny word, but pretty

hoarfrost (hôrfrôst)   n.

• Frozen dew that forms a white coating on a surface. Also called white frost.
• A deposit of needle-like ice crystals formed on the ground by direct condensation at temperatures below freezing point.  Also called white frost.
• Frozen dew that forms a white coating on a surface.

I grew up in Minnesota where the frost usually comes early.   I’m well accustomed to seeing frost, but I never knew the terminology.  I thought this interesting word would be a great choice to kick off my Word of the Week series.  I hope you’ll enjoy some random definitions as the weeks progress.  The choice to talk about frost comes at a strange time since we’ve been in a figurative boiling pot this summer, but perhaps the thought of something cool might sound appealing – like a popsicle, or a snow cone.  Hoarfrost is a funny word but the physical representation is quite beautiful.

Here are some additional hoarfrost pics I found during my google search…

I planted flowers this year for the first time in my adult life.  I know, I’m a little late to the game but a bit of earth for in-ground planting is somewhat hard to come by in the Manhattan vicinity.  So, for all you master gardeners out there… what are your tricks to prepare against an early frost once we get closer to the possibility? 

Word Associations

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1. 

   Brianna says:

   July 24, 2012 at 7:57 pm

   Beautiful pictures and terminology… makes me remember why I love the changing seasons.