Frostbiting

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Causing injury to body tissue due to extreme cold ; suffering damage to skin and underlying tissue from exposure to freezing temperatures
2. Producing harmful freezing effects on skin or flesh ; experiencing tissue injury caused by prolonged exposure to cold weather
3. Inducing the freezing and damage of skin and cells from severe cold ; enduring physical harm to extremities caused by freezing conditions

Etymology: "Frostbiting" is the present participle and gerund of "frostbite," so it is the -ing form of that verb, used for the act or process of cold damaging skin and tissue. The base word is simple: "frost" plus "bite," with "bite" in the old sense of a sharp, stinging injury, the same idea as a wound caused by a sharp pain. The compound follows a pattern English uses often, pairing a noun for the agent of harm with a verb for the harm itself. Here the cold works like a biting animal, nipping at exposed fingers, toes, cheeks and noses until the tissue is damaged. The verb "frostbite" was formed from these two parts, and its participle and gerund then follow the usual English pattern.