thaw

[ thaw ]

/ θɔ /

verb (used without object)

to pass or change from a frozen to a liquid or semiliquid state; melt.

to be freed from the physical effect of frost or extreme cold (sometimes followed by out): Sit by the fire and thaw out.

(of the weather) to become warm enough to melt ice and snow: It will probably thaw today.

to become less formal, reserved, or aloof: He thawed at their kindness.

to become less hostile or tense: International relations thawed.

verb (used with object)

to cause to change from a frozen to a liquid or semiliquid state; melt.

to free from the physical effect of frost or extreme cold; bring to a more normal temperature, especially to room temperature: I took the steaks out of the freezer and thawed them.

to make less cold, formal, or reserved.

to make less tense or hostile.

noun

the act or process of thawing.

the act or fact of becoming less formal, reserved, or aloof.

a reduction or easing in tension or hostility.

(in winter or in areas where freezing weather is the norm) weather warm enough to melt ice and snow.

a period of such weather: We had a two-week thaw in January.

the thaw, the first day in the year when ice in harbors, rivers, etc., breaks up or loosens enough to begin flowing to the sea, allowing navigation: The Anchorage thaw came on May 18th.

Origin of thaw

before 1000; (v.) Middle English thawen, Old English thawian; cognate with Dutch dooien, Old Norse theyja; (noun) late Middle English, derivative of the v.

SYNONYMS FOR thaw

1 See melt¹.

2, 8 warm.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR thaw ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR thaw

1 freeze.

SEE ANTONYMS FOR thaw ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM thaw

thaw·less, adjective re·thaw, verb un·der·thaw, verb un·thawed, adjective

un·thaw·ing, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH thaw

evanesce evaporate liquefy melt thaw transpire vaporize evanescence evaporation liquefaction melting thawing transpiration vaporization

Words nearby thaw

thaumatology, thaumatrope, thaumaturge, thaumaturgic, thaumaturgy, thaw, thaxter, thayer, thaïs, thb, thc

Example sentences from the Web for thawed

The beef remains in this condition until it is thawed, ensuring the freshness and quality from when it was originally frozen.

5 Things You Need to Know About Grass-Fed Beef |Mark Maynard |April 13, 2010 |DAILY BEAST
The first sound of that voice sent a warm glow through Syd, and thawed his frozen faculties.

Syd Belton |George Manville Fenn
Talbot Ward thawed completely, and a most winning smile illumined his face.

Gold |Stewart White
The pity of it is that Mary might have thawed a little had she known that it was only a lie.

When a Man's Single |J. M. Barrie

Though the face of the country was all life and beauty, the roads so recently thawed, were exceedingly muddy and heavy.

Early Western Travels 1748-1846 |Various
I have even crept shivering from the thawed sleeping-bag to flog a dog, so that I might hear a sound.

The Purple Cloud |M.P. Shiel

British Dictionary definitions for thawed

thaw

/ (θɔː) /

verb

to melt or cause to melt from a solid frozen state the snow thawed

to become or cause to become unfrozen; defrost

(intr) to be the case that the ice or snow is melting it's thawing fast

(intr) to become more sociable, relaxed, or friendly

noun

the act or process of thawing

a spell of relatively warm weather, causing snow or ice to melt

an increase in relaxation or friendliness

Derived forms of thaw

thawer, noun thawless, adjective

Word Origin for thaw

Old English thawian; related to Old High German douwen to thaw, Old Norse theyja to thaw, Latin tabēre to waste away

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

thaw

verb (used without object)

verb (used with object)

noun

Origin of thaw

SYNONYMS FOR thaw

ANTONYMS FOR thaw

OTHER WORDS FROM thaw

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH thaw

Words nearby thaw

Example sentences from the Web for thawed

British Dictionary definitions for thawed

verb

noun

Derived forms of thaw

Word Origin for thaw

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

thaw

verb (used without object)

verb (used with object)

noun

Origin of thaw

SYNONYMS FOR thaw

ANTONYMS FOR thaw

OTHER WORDS FROM thaw

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH thaw

Words nearby thaw

Words related to thawed

Example sentences from the Web for thawed

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for thawed

verb

noun

Derived forms of thaw

Word Origin for thaw

British Dictionary definitions for thawed