frost heave.

The upward displacement of soil or another surface as ice forms and expands within or beneath it.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• uneven frost heave
• frost-heave damage

On the page

Frost heave had tilted the paving stones beside the gate.

Uneven frost heave left the road ridged beneath the snow.

Usage notes

Primary category: environment. Forms: Usually mass noun; plural frost heaves for distinct uplifts. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings.