Meaning of thaw in English

Table of contents

Verb
thaw
Etymology
Old English thawian (verb), of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch dooien. The noun (first recorded in Middle English) developed its figurative use in the mid 19th century
Definitions
1. become or cause to become soft or liquid
Examples
- « The sun melted the ice »
- « the ice thawed »
- « the ice cream melted »
- « The heat melted the wax »
- « The giant iceberg dissolved over the years during the global warming phase »
- « dethaw the meat »
Derived terms
Noun
thaw
Definitions
1. the process whereby heat changes something from a solid to a liquid
Examples
- « the power failure caused a refrigerator melt that was a disaster »
- « the thawing of a frozen turkey takes several hours »
Derived terms
2. warm weather following a freeze
Examples
- « snow and ice melt »
- « they welcomed the spring thaw »
Derived terms
3. a relaxation or slackening of tensions or reserve
Examples
- « becoming less hostile »
- « the thaw between the United States and Russia has led to increased cooperation in world affairs »

Pronunciation