frothy, a.
(ˈfrɒθɪ, -ɔː-)
[f. froth n. + -y1.]
1. a. Full of, covered with, or accompanied by froth or foam; foamy.
| 1533 Frith Disput. Purgat. (1829) 157 Their..frothy waves. 1592 Shakes. Ven. & Ad. 901 The hunted boar Whose frothy mouth..A second fear through all her sinews spread. 1613 Uncasing of Machivils Instr. C ij b, Beare with a Tapster though his Cans be frothie. 1615 Latham Falconry (1633) 117 When you do finde your Hawkes mouth and throat to bee continually frothy and furred. 1700 Dryden Palamon & A. ii. 205 Two boars..With rising bristles, and with froathy jaws. 1740 Somerville Hobbinol. iii. 281 Wanton Joy Lavish had spilt the Cyder's frothy Flood. 1822–34 Good's Study Med. (ed. 4) II. 450 A frothy cough ensues. 1846 G. E. Day tr. Simon's Anim. Chem. II. 311 The urine..was turbid and of a reddish colour, very frothy [etc.]. 1871 B. Taylor Faust (1875) II. ii. iii. 124 Back the frothy wave is flowing. |
† b. frothy poppy, the bladder campion.
So called because it was supposed that cuckoo-spit was more frequently found on this than on other plants.
| 1597 Gerarde Herbal ii. ccxiv. 551 Called..in English Spatling Poppie, frothie Poppie, and white Ben. 1878 in Britten & Holland Plant-n. |
2. a. Consisting of froth or light bubbles, of the nature of or resembling foam, spumous.
| 1605 Timme Quersit. i. vii. 32 The flower of salt..is frothy. 1646 Sir T. Browne Pseud. Ep. v. iii. 237 That spumous frothy dew or exudation. 1697 Dryden Virg. Georg. iii. 400 About his churning Chaps the frothy Bubbles rise. 1799 Med. Jrnl. II. 140 His saliva was remarkably frothy. 1839 Murchison Silur. Syst. i. xxv. 320 The frothy breccia on one side. 1882 Vines Sachs' Bot. 454 The tapetum becomes disorganised and forms a frothy mucilage. |
† b. Soft, not firm or solid, flabby. Obs.
| 1626 Bacon Sylva §740 You need not fear that Bathing should make them [the Turks' bodies] frothy. 1658 Rowland Moufet's Theat. Ins. 1070 She hath a frothy body. |
c. Used to describe very light, tenuous dress-material.
| 1901 Westm. Gaz. 10 Jan. 3/2 In evening frocks and teagowns there is still a very marked liking for frilled frothy edges. 1930 [implied in frothiness below]. |
3. fig. Vain, empty, unsubstantial, trifling. Also, of a person: Having no depth of character, conviction, knowledge, etc.; shallow.
| 1593 Nashe 4 Lett. Confut. 16 The abiectest and frothiest forme of Diuinitie. 1622 Wither Mistr., Philar. Wks. (1633) 686 Such frothy Gallants. a 1652 J. Smith Sel. Disc. iii. 54 Contentious disputes, and frothy reasonings. 1661 Boyle Style of Script. (1675) 189 Our frothy censurers. 1707 Reflex. upon Ridicule 66 Most young People are too frothy. 1742 Richardson Pamela III. 412 Adding, in his frothy Way, Now can I say, I have saluted an Angel. 1831 Carlyle Sart. Res. ii. viii. (1871) 123 With..much frothy rant. 1884 Edna Lyall We Two xvi, A mere ranter, a frothy mob orator. 1885 Mag. of Art Sept. 450/2 Much frothy fine writing. |
| absol. 1762 Foote Orators ii. Wks. 1799 I. 219 You will have at one view..the frothy, the turgid, the calm, and the clamorous. |
4. Comb., as frothy-looking adj.
| 1880 I. L. Bird Japan I. 133 A frothy-looking silk crêpe. |
Hence ˈfrothily adv., ˈfrothiness.
| 1615 Crooke Body of Man 259 The humidity, heate, frothinesse and whitenes. a 1716 South Serm. (1737) VIII. ix. 264 The profaneness and frothiness of his discourse. 1727 Bailey vol. II, Frothily, with Froth; also emptily, not solidly or substantially, lightly. 1823 Lamb Elia, On some Old Actors, The..face..that looked out so formally flat in Foppington, so frothily pert in Tattle. 1846 G. E. Day tr. Simon's Anim. Chem. II. 5 A limpid fluid..unobscured by frothiness. 1890 Longm. Mag. Nov. 109 Persons who frothily declaim about genius. 1930 Times 13 Mar. 11/6 The outstanding feature is the frothiness of the dresses made from perishable materials with their innumerable frills, flounces, and furbelows. |