defrosts; defrosted; defrosting
1
: to warm something that is frozen until it is no longer frozen
You can defrost the soup in the microwave.
He took some fish out of the freezer to defrost [=thaw] in the fridge.
—sometimes used figurativelyIt took a while for her to defrost [=to stop being unfriendly] and open up to us.
2
: to melt ice that has built up on the inside of a freezer or refrigerator
defrost the freezer
Has the refrigerator defrosted yet?
3
: to melt ice on a car's windows by using heat
defrost the windshield
Cite this Entry
“Defrost.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/defrost. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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