Damaged or injured by exposure to extreme cold that freezes skin tissue.
From 'frost' plus 'bit,' the past tense of 'bite.' The metaphor treats frost as if it were an animal that 'bites' or injures tissue, suggesting the sharp, damaging effect of freezing cold.
The word 'frostbit' uses a brilliant metaphor—we still call severe cold damage 'frostbite' because frost 'bites' like an animal, which helps people remember it's a real medical emergency that destroys living tissue.
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