thaw

Pronunciation: /θɔː/

The English word “thaw” has 16 meanings listed here.

verb

To gradually cause (something frozen, such as earth, ice, or snow) to melt or soften by raising the temperature.
To gradually cause (someone or something that is very cold) to warm up.
To cause (something inactive) to become active; also, to cause (something unfeeling) to have feelings.
To cause (someone or their feelings that are reserved or unfriendly) to become friendly or gentle.
To cause (something rigid) to become limp.
Of something frozen, such as earth, ice, or snow: to gradually melt or soften as a result of the temperature being raised.
Of someone or something that is very cold: to gradually warm up.
With the dummy pronoun it: of the weather: to become sufficiently warm for ice, snow, etc., to melt.
Of a person or their feelings that are reserved or unfriendly: to become friendly or gentle.
Of something inactive: to become active; also, of something unfeeling: to develop feelings.

noun

A gradual melting or softening of something frozen (such as earth, ice, or snow) when the temperature rises; the transformation of something frozen into a fluid or semifluid.
A gradual warming up of someone or something that is very cold.
Of something inactive: an act of becoming active; also, of something unfeeling: an act of developing feelings.
Of a person who is reserved or unfriendly: an act of becoming friendly or gentle.
A period of relaxation of restrictions in a country or state; also, a period of increased friendliness or understanding, or of reduced hostility or tension in relations, between states.
A period of weather warm enough to melt ice, snow, etc.

Etymology

The verb is derived from Middle English thawen, thowen (“to melt (ice, snow, etc.), thaw”), from Old English þāwian, *þāwan (“to thaw”), from Proto-West Germanic *þauwjan (“to melt, thaw; to digest; to dissolve”), from Proto-Germanic *þawjaną (“to thaw”), from Proto-Indo-European *teh₂- (“to melt; to flow, stream”). The noun is derived from Late Middle English thawe, thowe (“melting of ice, snow,…

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Definitions are from Wiktionary, extracted by Kaikki.org, and are available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.