thaw B1 Topic:Weather & Climate US /θɔː/ UK /θɔː/ See IPA manual Minimal pairs Sounds like faugh /θ/ vs /f/ 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... meltdefrostunfreezeliquefysoften 2 verb · to become more friendly or... relaxeaseloosen upopen upwarm up 3 noun · the process of warming up... meltingdefrostingwarmingmeltbreakup ↔ Opposites freezesolidifyhardenchill Etymology AI details From Old English þawian 'to melt, become liquid,' through Middle English thawen, to Modern English thaw. Topics Weather & Climate Cause, Change & Process External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # 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