thaw

B1 Topic:Weather & Climate

US /θɔː/ UK /θɔː/ See IPA manual

Minimal pairs

Sounds like faugh /θ/ vs /f/

verb noun

Meanings

1

verb
to become free of ice or frost, typically due to a rise in temperature

The ice on the lake began to thaw as spring approached.
2

verb
to become more friendly or less hostile

Relations between the two countries began to thaw after the peace talks.
3

noun
the process of warming up and becoming unfrozen

The thaw of the frozen ground allowed farmers to start planting.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to become free of ice or... meltdefrostunfreezeliquefy soften

2 verb · to become more friendly or... relax easeloosen upopen upwarm up

3 noun · the process of warming up... meltingdefrostingwarming melt breakup

Opposites

freeze solidify harden chill

Etymology

From Old English þawian 'to melt, become liquid,' through Middle English thawen, to Modern English thaw.

Topics

Weather & Climate Cause, Change & Process

# thaw

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** verb, noun
**IPA (US):** θɔː
**IPA (UK):** θɔː

## Meanings
1. to become free of ice or frost, typically due to a rise in temperature
2. to become more friendly or less hostile
3. the process of warming up and becoming unfrozen

## Examples
- The ice on the lake began to thaw as spring approached.
- Relations between the two countries began to thaw after the peace talks.
- The thaw of the frozen ground allowed farmers to start planting.

## Synonyms
- melt
- defrost
- unfreeze
- liquefy
- soften
- relax
- ease
- warm up
- melting
- defrosting
- warming
- breakup

## Antonyms
- freeze
- solidify
- harden
- chill

## Etymology
From Old English þawian 'to melt, become liquid,' through Middle English thawen, to Modern English thaw.

## AI Etymology
Thaw comes from Old English þawian 'to melt, become liquid,' through Middle English thawen, to Modern English thaw. In current use it is a verb and noun meaning "to become free of ice or frost, typically due to a rise in temperature". That sense is explained by the older material without requiring a speculative semantic step: the inherited or borrowed base supplies the field of meaning, while the English formation fixes its modern role. The history is mainly one of transmission into English, with the older form and sense carried through borrowing or adaptation. For dictionary purposes, the important point is the continuity between the older form, the route into English, and the present lexical sense.

## Topics
- Weather & Climate
- Cause, Change & Process

markdown

thaw

Meanings

Thesaurus

Etymology

Topics

Keyboard Shortcuts

General

Send feedback