froth

[ frawth, froth ]

noun

1. an aggregation of bubbles, as on an agitated liquid or at the mouth of a hard-driven horse; foam; spume.
2. a foam of saliva or fluid resulting from disease.
3. something unsubstantial, trivial, or evanescent:

   The play was a charming bit of froth.

   Synonyms: nonsense, fluff, frivolity, triviality

verb (used with object)

1. to cover with froth:

   giant waves frothing the sand.

2. to cause to foam:

   to froth egg whites with a whisk.

3. to emit like froth:

   a demagogue frothing his hate.

verb (used without object)

1. to give out froth; foam:

   frothing at the mouth.

froth

/ frɒθ /

noun

1. a mass of small bubbles of air or a gas in a liquid, produced by fermentation, detergent, etc
2. a mixture of saliva and air bubbles formed at the lips in certain diseases, such as rabies
3. trivial ideas, talk, or entertainment

verb

1. to produce or cause to produce froth
2. tr to give out in the form of froth
3. tr to cover with froth

Derived Forms

• ˈfrothiness, noun
• ˈfrothily, adverb
• ˈfrothy, adjective

Other Words From

• frother noun
• outfroth verb (used with object)
• un·frothed adjective
• un·frothing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of froth¹

1350–1400; Middle English frothe < Old Norse frotha froth, scum

Word History and Origins

Origin of froth¹

C14: from Old Norse frotha or frauth ; related to Old English āfrēothan to foam, Sanskrit prothati he snorts

Example Sentences

But her style has risks - “like a can of Heineken, if shaken up too much, it can froth everywhere,” and make a terrible mess.

From BBC

On a chilly morning in early December 2017, attorney Anthony Spaniola awakened at his cabin on Van Etten Lake in Oscoda, Michigan, to the sight of billowy white froth bobbing along the shore.

From Salon

Reviewers for US pop star Sabrina Carpenter's hotly-anticipated new album have described it as "smart pop underneath the froth" at one end of the scale, to having "no ideas, no integrity and no identity" at the other.

From BBC

We’ve seen this before with populists in the U.S., but with Trump the results seem more overwhelming due to the froth of social media, which seemingly has the ability to add legitimacy to the claims of con men by endlessly repeating lies, half-truths and quackery.

From Salon

But it's not at all clear that anyone outside of the already MAGA-pilled is worked into a froth over this.

From Salon

Related Words

• foam
• scum