noun
Meaning 1
A frog.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: dialectal
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
frosh
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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Received-Pronunciation: /ˈfɹɒʃ/
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Received-Pronunciation: [ˈfɹwɒ̟ʃ]
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Australian: /ˈfɹɔʃ/
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Australian: [ˈfɹwɔ̟ʃ]
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Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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General-American: /ˈfɹɔʃ/ without the cot–caught merger
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cot-caught-merger: /ˈfɹɑʃ/
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cot-caught-merger: [ˈfɹwɑʃ]
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cot-caught-merger: /ˈfɹɒʃ/
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cot-caught-merger: [ˈfɹhɒʃ]
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rhymes with -ɔːʃ
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rhymes with -ɒʃ
noun
Meaning 2
A first-year student, at certain universities, and a first-or-second-year student at other universities.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: colloquial
Examples
- The frosh are really getting on my nerves!
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 3
Ellipsis of frosh week.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: abbreviation, alt-of, colloquial, ellipsis
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 4
To initiate academic freshmen, notably in a testing way.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: slang, transitive
Examples
- This campus does not tolerate froshing in any form.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 5
To damage through incompetence.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: slang, transitive
Examples
- Trying to open my car door with a coat hanger, I froshed the mechanism.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From Middle English frossh, frosch, from Old English frosc, from Proto-Germanic *fruskaz (“frog”), from Proto-Indo-European *prew- (“to jump, hop”). Cognate with West Frisian froask (“frog”), Dutch vors (“frog”), German Frosch (“frog”), Norwegian frosk (“frog”), Icelandic froskur (“frog”). Doublet of frosk; more at frog.
Blend of freshman + sophomore.
Across languages
Translations
5 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Dutch: schacht — first year student
- French: bleu — first year student
- Dutch: dopen — to initiate academic freshmen
- French: bizuter — to initiate academic freshmen
- French: baptiser — to initiate academic freshmen