thaw

1 of 2

verb

ˈthȯ 

thawed; thawing; thaws

intransitive verb

1

a

: to go from a frozen to a liquid state : melt

b

: to become free of the effect (such 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

transitive verb

: to cause to thaw

thaw

2 of 2

noun

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

Synonyms

Verb

• deliquesce
• flux
• fuse
• liquefy
• liquify
• melt
• run

Examples of thaw in a Sentence

Verb

Plant the seeds in early spring as soon as the ground thaws.

The sun will soon thaw the snow and ice.

The weather is beginning to thaw.

Our cold fingers and toes eventually thawed.

She held the coffee cup tightly, trying to thaw her frozen fingers.

Noun

flooding from the spring thaw

a thaw in international relations

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Letting a frozen loaf of bread thaw on the countertop is another method. —Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 15 Aug. 2024

Researchers think a key ally in thawing out icy, barren wastelands of Mars is glitter—more specifically, literally millions of tons of reflective metallic nanorod particles seeded throughout the Red Planet’s atmosphere. —Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 8 Aug. 2024

Noun

After Leah tells her stepmom that there have been nine stillbirths in the villages since the start of winter, Danvers drives out to the morgue, where, in an echo of Julia’s cremation, tiny coffins keep each other company above ground until spring thaws. —Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 9 Feb. 2024

Atmospheric pressure would also increase as the warming thaws carbon dioxide ice and releases the gas into the atmosphere, creating a positive feedback loop. —Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Old English thawian; akin to Old High German douwen to thaw, Greek tēkein to melt, Latin tabēre to waste away

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

thaw

1 of 2 verb

ˈthȯ 

1

: to melt or cause to melt

ice on the pond is thawing

2

: to become free of the effects of cold temperatures by being exposed to warmth

frozen foods thawed before cooking

thaw

2 of 2 noun

1

: the action, fact, or process of thawing

2

: a period of weather warm enough to thaw ice and snow