foam at the mouth
1. Literally, to produce foam from one's mouth, as due to a disease or other ailment. All of a sudden she collapsed in a fit, convulsing and foaming at the mouth. Um, if that raccoon is foaming at the mouth, it probably has rabies! Somebody, call 911! Joe just started seizing and foaming at the mouth!
2. Figuratively, to be viciously and uncontrollably angry or upset. The protesters had formed outside the courthouse, foaming at the mouth as the alleged murderer made his way up the steps. Their community was brutally attacked—of course they're foaming at the mouth and looking for justice. This is just a minor inconvenience, Sam. It's no reason to foam at the mouth.
froth at the mouth
1. Literally, to produce foam from one's mouth, as due to a disease or other ailment. All of a sudden she collapsed in a fit, convulsing and frothing at the mouth. Um, if that raccoon is frothing at the mouth, it probably has rabies! Somebody, call 911! Joe just started seizing and frothing at the mouth!
2. Figuratively, to be viciously and uncontrollably angry or upset. The protesters had formed outside the courthouse, frothing at the mouth as the alleged murderer made his way up the steps. Their community was brutally attacked—of course they're frothing at the mouth and looking for justice. This is just a minor inconvenience, Sam. It's no reason to froth at the mouth.
froth up
1. To form into a foamy lather. How much heat do I need to use to get the milk to froth up? The soap started to froth up once I mixed it with water. No, that kind of shampoo doesn't really froth up.
2. To cause something to form into a foamy lather. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "froth" and "up." Do you have anything I can use to froth up the milk for my latte? Did you read the ingredients in that shampoo? Yeah, they're not gonna froth it up—that's why there's no lather. If you keep it on high heat like that, the soup will definitely froth up!
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
foam at the mouth
1. Lit. to create froth or foam around the mouth, as with some diseases. The poor dog was foaming at the mouth and looked quite dangerous. What does it mean when a cow foams at the mouth?
2. Fig. to be extraordinarily angry. She was almost foaming at the mouth when she heard about the cost of the car repairs. Walter was foaming at the mouth with rage.
froth something up
to whip or aerate something until it is frothy. Froth the milk up before you add it to the sauce. Froth up the milk before you pour it in.
froth up
[for something] to build up a froth when whipped, aerated, or boiled. The mixture began to froth up as Dan beat it. The milk frothed up as the steam went through it.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
foam at the mouth
Be extremely angry, as in She was foaming at the mouth over the judge's ruling. This hyperbolic term uses the verb foam in the sense of "froth at the mouth," a usage generally applied to animals such as horses and dating from about a.d. 950. [1400s]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
foam at the mouth
or froth at the mouth
1. If someone foams at the mouth or froths at the mouth, they are very angry. Stewart was still foaming at the mouth about the incident when we spoke. The mere mention of `political correctness' is enough to cause journalists to froth at the mouth.
2. If someone foams at the mouth or froths at the mouth, they are very excited about something. The news that the team's top player is up for sale at the end of the season has got Premier League bosses foaming at the mouth in excitement. A new vintage home store has got A-list celebrities frothing at the mouth with excitement. Note: To foam or froth at the mouth literally means to produce a lot of foam or froth in the form of saliva. This is associated especially with having the disease rabies.
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012
froth (or foam) at the mouth
be very angry. This phrase stems from the involuntary production of large amounts of saliva from the mouth during a seizure or fit.
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
foam at the ˈmouth
(informal) be extremely angry: He stood there foaming at the mouth. I’ve never seen anybody so angry.If an animal foams at the mouth, it has a mass of small bubbles in and around its mouth, especially because it is very ill or angry.
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
froth up
v.1. To become frothy or foamy: The vinegar quickly frothed up when I added the baking soda.
2. To cause something to become frothy or foamy: The spinning blades of the blender frothed up the juice. You need to stir vigorously in order to froth the sauce up.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs. Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
froth
n. a beer. How about another pitcher of frost, innkeeper?
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.