thaw

thaw
I. verb Etymology: Middle English, from Old English thawian; akin to Old High German douwen to thaw, Greek tēkein to melt, Latin tabēre to waste away Date: before 12th century transitive verb to cause to thaw intransitive verb 1. a. to go from a frozen to a liquid state ; melt b. to become free of the effect (as stiffness, numbness, or hardness) of cold as a result of exposure to warmth 2. to be warm enough to melt ice and snow — used with it in reference to the weather 3. to abandon aloofness, reserve, or hostility ; unbend 4. to become mobile, active, or susceptible to change II. noun Date: 15th century 1. the action, fact, or process of thawing 2. a period of weather warm enough to thaw ice <
the January thaw
>
3. the action or process of becoming less aloof, less hostile, or more genial <
a thaw in international relations
>

New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.

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Synonyms:
(after freezing), , , , (something frozen),


Look at other dictionaries:

  • Thaw — may refer to: * . * Gomułka thaw * Khrushchev Thaw, period in Soviet history * Thaw (album), studio album by Foetus Interruptus * The Thaw ( Voyager episode), second season episode of Star Trek: Voyager * Tony Hawk s American Wasteland, video… …   Wikipedia

  • thaw´er — thaw «th», verb, noun. –v.t. 1. to melt (ice, snow, or anything frozen); free from frost: »The sun at noon thaws the ice on the roads very quickly. SYNONYM(S): See syn. under melt. (Cf. ↑melt) …   Useful english dictionary

  • thaw — [thô] vi. [ME thawen < OE thawian, akin to Du dooien, Ger (ver)dauen, to digest < IE base * tā , to melt, dissolve, flow > L tabere, to melt, vanish] 1. a) to become liquid or semiliquid; melt: said of ice, snow, etc. b) to pass to an… …   English World dictionary

  • thaw — (v.) O.E. þawian, from P.Gmc. *thawojanan (Cf. O.N. þeyja, M.L.G. doien, Du. dooien, O.H.G. douwen, Ger. tauen to thaw ), from PIE root *ta to melt, dissolve (Cf. Skt. toyam water, Ossetic thayun to thaw, Wel …   Etymology dictionary

  • thaw — thaw; thaw·less; un·thaw; …   English syllables

  • thaw — haw, n. The melting of ice, snow, or other congealed matter; the resolution of ice, or the like, into the state of a fluid; liquefaction by heat of anything congealed by frost; also, a warmth of weather sufficient to melt that which is congealed …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • thaw — haw (th[add]), v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Thawed} (th[add]d); p. pr. & vb. n. {Thawing}.] [AS. [thorn][=a]wian, [thorn][=a]wan; akin to D. dovijen, G. tauen, thauen (cf. also verdauen to digest, OHG. douwen, firdouwen), Icel. [thorn]eyja, Sw. t[ o]a,… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • thaw — haw, v. t. To cause (frozen things, as earth, snow, ice) to melt, soften, or dissolve. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • thaw — vb melt, *liquefy, deliquesce, fuse Antonyms: freeze …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • thaw — [v] unfreeze, warm become liquid, become soft, defrost, deliquesce, dissolve, flow, flux, fuse, liquefy, loosen, melt, mollify, open up, relax, relent, run, soften, unbend, warm up; concepts 13,255,469 Ant. freeze …   New thesaurus

  • thaw — ► VERB 1) become or make liquid or soft after being frozen. 2) (it thaws, it is thawing, etc.) the weather becomes warmer and causes snow and ice to melt. 3) (of a part of the body) become warm enough to stop feeling numb. 4) make or become… …   English terms dictionary

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