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Thaw

UK //θɔː// US //θɔ// Pronunciation

Definition

To raise the temperature of something frozen to make it soft or liquid.

Listen to definition

In simple words: To make something frozen become soft or liquid.

Examples

• I need to thaw the chicken before I can cook it.
• The ice on the lake will thaw as spring approaches.
• It took hours for the snow to thaw in the sunlight.
• Make sure to thaw the meat in the refrigerator for safety.
• We watched the frozen river thaw as temperatures rose.

Usage notes

Used for food or ice. It's not used in formal writing to describe abstract concepts.

Grammar pattern

thaw + object

Memory hint

Think of thawing ice on a warm day, it turns to water.

Collocations

• thaw out
• thaw the meat
• thaw in the sun

Synonyms

• melt
• unfreeze
• defrost
• warm
• soften

Common mistakes

• Using 'thaw' in contexts not related to freezing or cold.
• Confusing 'thaw' with 'melt', which generally refers to solids becoming liquids.
• Using 'thaw' without an object, like just 'the ice will thaw'.