fro

¹ American  

[froh] / froʊ /

adverb

1. Obsolete. from; back.

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idioms

1. to and fro, alternating from one place to another; back and forth.

   The trees were swaying to and fro in the wind.

'fro ² American  

[froh] / froʊ /

Or fro

adjective

Informal.

plural

'fros

1. shortened form of Afro.

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fro ¹ British  

/ frəʊ /

adverb

1. back or from See to and fro

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fro ² British  

/ frəʊ /

noun

1. short for Afro

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fro More Idioms  

1. see to and fro.

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Etymology

Origin of fro¹

1150–1200; Middle English frō, frā < Old Norse frā from; akin to Old English fram from

Origin of 'fro²

First recorded in 1970–75; by shortening

Example Sentences

The autumn operation exposed flaws too: The land couldn’t accommodate all the vehicles, said Lemmermann, and it consisted of noncontiguous plots, forcing Rheinmetall to bus soldiers to and fro.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 27, 2025

Shelters have been opened for those displaced from their homes, and helicopters were flying to and fro to bring essentials to people cut off from the rest of the world.

From Barron's • Oct. 13, 2025

Team principal Frederic Vasseur characterises what is sometimes broadcast from the team radio as the standard to and fro between driver and engineer.

From BBC • Jul. 1, 2025

She bustled to and fro, greeting regulars with gruff warmth.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 1, 2024

Here the huge cliff-face sloped backwards, and the path like a snake wound to and fro across it.

From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien