gefrierender

Gefrierender is the present participle form of the German verb gefrieren and functions as an attributive adjective. It describes a process or state in which something is in the act of freezing or has reached the freezing point. In meteorology and everyday language, gefrierender is used to characterize weather conditions or phenomena associated with freezing of liquid water.

In weather terminology the expression gefrierender Regen is common, referring to freezing rain where raindrops freeze upon impact with surfaces at or below 0 °C. The term can also occur with other weather phenomena that involve freezing, such as gefrierender Nebel (freezing fog) or gefrierende Wolkenbildung in technical texts. The exact form of the ending depends on gender, number, and case of the noun it modifies, e.g., ein gefrierender Regen (nominative masculine singular), einen gefrierenden Regen (accusative masculine singular), ein gefrierendes Phänomen (neuter singular).

Grammatically, gefrierender is an attributive adjective, not a noun. It requires a noun to modify and is declined accordingly: gefrierender Regen, gefrierende Luft, oder gefrierendes Phänomen. In broader usage, the concept is linked to freezing processes described by gefrieren, Frost, and related terms.

Beyond meteorology, gefrierender may appear in technical or descriptive contexts to denote ongoing freezing in processes or experiments, though the more common past participle gefroren or the present participle gefrierend may be preferred depending on style and region. See also Gefrierpunkt, Gefrieren, Gefroren, and Gefriergerät for related concepts.