Frostbound

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Bound or held in place by ice and frozen conditions, making movement or activity impossible
2. Held immobile by persistent freezing temperatures and accumulated ice that prevents normal function or passage
3. Locked in place by severe frost and frozen conditions that obstruct movement or activity
4. Immobilized or constrained by severe freezing and icy conditions that prevent normal function or passage
5. Locked in place by intense cold and accumulated ice that renders movement or progress impossible

Etymology: "Frostbound" is a plain compound of "frost" and "bound," the past participle of "bind." The sense of "bound" here is "held fast" or "restricted," as in a ship bound to harbour by ice or a traveller tied down by weather. So the word describes something that has been held in place by freezing rather than something that has been shackled by a person. The "frost" half traces back to Old English "frost," a word that has been used for cold and ice for well over a thousand years, while "bound" comes from Old English "bunden," the past participle of "binden." Put together, the compound has a tidy, literal logic: the cold does the binding. The word works as a single adjective, which is why it is most often applied to landscapes, roads, rivers, and the people trapped within them.

Synonyms: frozen, chilled

Antonyms: thawed, mild