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Webster 1913 Edition

thaw

thaw

(tha̤)
,
Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Thawed
(tha̤d)
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Thawing
.]
[AS.
þāwian
,
þāwan
; akin to D.
dovijen
, G.
tauen
,
thauen
(cf. also ver
dauen
to digest, OHG.
douwen
, fir
douwen
), Icel.
þeyja
, Sw.
töa
, Dan.
töe
, and perhaps to Gr.
τήκειν
to melt. √56.]
1.
To melt, dissolve, or become fluid; to soften; – said of that which is frozen;
as, the ice
thaws
.
2.
To become so warm as to melt ice and snow; – said in reference to the weather, and used impersonally.

thaw

,
Verb.
T.
To cause (frozen things, as earth, snow, ice) to melt, soften, or dissolve.

thaw

,
Noun.
The melting of ice, snow, or other congealed matter; the resolution of ice, or the like, into the state of a fluid; liquefaction by heat of anything congealed by frost; also, a warmth of weather sufficient to melt that which is congealed.
Dryden.

Webster 1828 Edition

Thaw

THAW

, v.i.
1.
To melt, dissolve or become fluid, as ice or snow. [It is remarkable that this word is used only of things that congeal by frost. We never say, to thaw metal of any kind.]
2.
To become so warm as to melt ice and snow; used of weather.

THAW

,
Verb.
T.
To melt; to dissolve; as ice, snow, hail or frozen earth.

THAW

,
Noun.
The melting of ice or snow; the resolution of ice into the state of a fluid; liquefaction by heat, of any thing congealed by frost.

Definition 2024

thaw

thaw

See also: Thaw

English

Alternative forms

Verb

thaw ‎(third-person singular simple present thaws, present participle thawing, simple past and past participle thawed)

  1. (intransitive) To gradually melt, dissolve, or become fluid; to soften from frozen
    the ice thaws
  2. (intransitive) To become so warm as to melt ice and snow — said in reference to the weather, and used impersonally.
    It's beginning to thaw.
  3. (intransitive, figuratively) To grow gentle or genial.
    Her anger has thawed.
  4. (transitive) To gradually cause frozen things (such as earth, snow, ice) to melt, soften, or dissolve.
Translations

Noun

thaw ‎(plural thaws)

  1. The melting of ice, snow, or other congealed matter; the resolution of ice, or the like, into the state of a fluid; liquefaction by heat of anything congealed by frost
  2. a warmth of weather sufficient to melt that which is frozen
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Dryden to this entry?)
Translations

See also

Anagrams

Welsh

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /θau̯/

Verb

thaw

  1. Aspirate mutation of taw.

Etymology

From Middle English thowen, thawen, from Old English þāwian ‎(“to thaw”), from Proto-Germanic *þawōną, *þawjaną ‎(“to thaw, melt”), from Proto-Indo-European *teh₂w- ‎(“to melt”). Cognate with Scots thow ‎(“to thaw”), West Frisian teie ‎(“to thaw, melt”), Dutch dooien ‎(“to thaw”), German tauen ‎(“to thaw”), Swedish töa ‎(“to thaw”), Icelandic þeyja ‎(“to thaw”), Latin tābēs ‎(“melting, wasting away”), Ancient Greek τήκω ‎(tḗkō) and Albanian thaj ‎(“to dry (up), to thaw”), Polish tajać ‎(“to thaw”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /θɔː/
  • Rhymes: -ɔː

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