Fog

/fɒɡ/

nounBeginner📊CommonTechnology
2 meanings1 idiom/phrase3 questions

Definitions

2 meanings
1

A thick cloud of water droplets suspended in the air at or near the earth's surface that obscures or restricts visibility.

/fɒɡ/

nounneutralBeginner
Technology

A thick cloud near the ground

Dense fog caused delays at the airport.

💡 Simply: Imagine you're driving and suddenly can't see anything because there are lots of tiny water droplets in the air. That's fog! Like when the air is so wet that it's hard to see.

👶 For kids: Fog is like a cloud that's down on the ground! It makes it hard to see.

More Examples

2

The morning fog cleared up by noon.

3

The fog made it difficult to navigate the ship.

How It's Used

Weather

"The fog rolled in from the sea, reducing visibility to almost zero."

Literature

"The fog hung over the city like a shroud."

2

To become covered or obscure with or as if with fog; to cloud, especially with condensation.

/fɒɡ/

verbneutralBeginner
Technology

To make (something, typically a window or mirror) covered with fog or condensation.

The diver's mask fogged up underwater.

💡 Simply: When you breathe on a window and it gets blurry from the wetness, you've 'fogged' it up! It’s like making things hard to see because of moisture.

👶 For kids: If you breathe on a window and make it all steamy and blurry, you're fogging it!

More Examples

2

He fogged the mirror with his breath.

3

The warm air fogged the cold glass.

How It's Used

Everyday Life

"His breath fogged up the car window."

Technology

"The lenses fogged when he entered the warm room."

Tip:Think of your breath making a window blurry with moisture.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Idioms & expressions

in a fog

Confused or disoriented.

"I was in a fog after the long flight."

From Middle English fogge, from Old Norse fog, related to Old English fāg (appearing in compounds), possibly from Proto-Germanic *faihaz (“wet, moist”).

The word fog has been used since the early 16th century.

Memory tip

Think of a blanket of water droplets hugging the ground.

Word Origin

LanguageOld Norse
Original meaning

"wetness"

thick fogdense fogmorning fogfog rolled infog cleared

Common misspellings

foggfouge

Usage

60%Spoken
40%Written