Jack Frost

UK/ˌdʒæk ˈfɹɒst/US/ˌdʒæk ˈfɹɑst/US/-ˈfɹɔst/

proper noun

A personification of frosty weather or winter.

Meanings

proper noun
  1. A personification of frosty weather or winter.

    Chestnuts roasting on an open fire / Jack Frost nipping at your nose / Yuletide carols being sung by a choir / And folks dressed up like Eskimos

    1945, “The Christmas Song: Merry Christmas to You: S.A.T.B. with Incidental Soprano Solos and Piano Accompaniment”, Mel Tormé, Bob Wells (lyrics), Mel Tormé (music), New York, N.Y.: E. H. Morris, published 1946, →OCLC
    5 more examples

    This time of Year being cold and frosty generally speaking, or when Jack Frost commonly takes us by the Nose, the Diversions are always within Doors, either in Exercise or by the Fire-side.

    1740, “Of Mirth and Jollity, Christmas Gambols, Eating, Drinking, Kissing, and Other Diversions of the Holydays”, in Round about Our Coal-fire, or Christmas Entertainments …, London: […] J. Roberts […], →OCLC; republished as Christmas Entertainments: […], London: Field & Tuer, Yᵉ Leadenhall Presse; Simpkin, Marshall & Co.; Hamilton, Adams & Co., 1883, →OCLC, page 6

    Well, and the inside is all lined with skins, warm enough; and there's a fire in the middle; [...] Jack frost may whistle out doors if he pleases, but he can hardly get his nose in here.

    1818, Isaac Taylor, “Lapland. 10. Lapland Witch Selling a Wind.”, in Scenes in Europe, for the Amusement and Instruction of Little Tarry-at-home Travellers, London: […] J. Harris, […], →OCLC, page 11

    December's severely cold nights made dreadful havoc with the soldiers[’] toes on the out posts, where for six long hours without fire or aught to shield from Jack Frost’s intrusion, they trod their lonely beat, dreaming of home and friends far away.

    1870, George Wise, “Falls Church, Upton’s and Munson’s Hills”, in History of the Seventeenth Virginia Infantry, C.S.A., Baltimore, Md.: Kelly, Piet & Company, →OCLC, page 47

    Autumn has given way to winter once more, and happily the late and heavy rains fattened the ripening crops now reaping; and left everywhere through this district a thick growth of grass, for winter grazing; long enough, generally, to shield from Jack Frost, by its ample tops and seed heads, a bite of succulent stalk above the roots.

    1901 June 1, Maynard Matthews, “District Reports”, in The Agricultural Journal and Mining Record, volume IV, number 7, Pietermaritzburg, Natal Province: Times Printing and Publishing Company, published 7 June 1901, →OCLC, pages 196–197

    Ma said that Jack Frost came in the night and made the pictures, while everyone was asleep. Laura thought that Jack Frost was a little man all snowy white, wearing a glittering white pointed cap and soft white kneeboots made of deerskin.

    1932, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Little House in the Big Woods, New York, N.Y.: Harper, published 2016, →ISBN

    Synonyms: Old Man Winter

Synonyms & antonyms

proper nounA personification of frosty weather or winter.

Origin

From Jack (placeholder or conventional name for any man) + frost.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 冰霜傑克 /冰霜杰克
  • 冰霜傑克 /冰霜杰克 (Bīngshuāng Jiékè)personification of winter
Japanese ジャックフロスト
  • ジャックフロスト (jakkufurosuto)personification of winter
Korean 잭 프로스트
  • 잭 프로스트 (jaek peuroseuteu)personification of winter
Norwegian Bokmål Kong Vinter
  • Kong Vinterpersonification of winter
Swedish Kung Frost, Kung Bore
  • Kung Frostpersonification of winter
  • Kung Borepersonification of winter
  • Kung Vinterpersonification of winter
Welsh Jac y Rhew, Siôn Barrug
  • Jac y Rhewpersonification of winter
  • Siôn Barrugpersonification of winter

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with Jack Frost

All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

Jack Frost. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Jack%20Frost

MLA

“Jack Frost.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Jack%20Frost. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Jack Frost,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Jack%20Frost.

Source: Jack Frost on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.