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WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2024freeze /friz/USA pronunciation v., froze/froʊz/USA pronunciation fro•zen/ˈfroʊzən/USA pronunciation freez•ing, n. v. - Physicsto (cause to) become hardened into ice or into a solid body: [no object]Salt water freezes at a lower temperature than fresh water.[~ + object]The cold will freeze the pond.
- Physicsto (cause to) become hard with cold: [no object]The meat will freeze in a few hours.[~ + object]will freeze the meat solid.
- to (cause to) suffer the effects or sensation of intense cold: [no object]We froze until the heat came on.[~ + object]Those cold winter nights froze us.
- Physics to be of the degree of cold at which water freezes:[no object]It may freeze tonight if the temperature drops.
- to lose warmth of feeling: [no object]My heart froze when I heard the news.[~ + object]The news froze my heart.
- to become speechless or immobilized, as through fear:[no object]When he got up in front of the huge audience he froze.
- to (cause to) stop suddenly and remain motionless: [no object]I froze when I heard the sound.[~ + object]The snap of a twig behind him froze him in his tracks.
- to (cause to) become blocked or obstructed by the formation of ice: [no object]The water pipes froze.[~ + object]The cold froze the pipes.
- to work or function badly because of cold: [no object][no object]The engine froze during the night and wouldn't start.
- to (cause to) become fixed or stuck to something by or as if by the action of frost: [no object]The sled froze to the sidewalk.[~ + object]The wiper was frozen to the windshield.
- to become unfriendly or secretive:[no object* ~ (+ up)]She froze up when we questioned her.
- Government to fix (rents, prices, etc.) at a specific amount, usually by government order:[~ + object]Why is it that wages are frozen while prices rise?
- Government to stop or limit production or use of:[~ + object]an agreement to freeze nuclear weapons.
- Business to prevent (assets) from being sold or collected:[~ + object]The government froze their accounts.
- freeze over, [no object] to become coated with ice:The highway froze over.
n. [countable* usually singular] - an act or instance of freezing;
the state of being frozen. - Meteorologya period of very cold weather:A freeze set in.
- Governmenta legislative action to control prices, rents, production, etc.:imposed a wage freeze.
- Governmenta decision by one or more nations to stop or limit production or development of weapons:calling for a freeze on nuclear weapons.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2024freeze (frēz),USA pronunciation v., froze, fro•zen, freez•ing, n. v.i. - Physicsto become hardened into ice or into a solid body;
change from the liquid to the solid state by loss of heat. - Physicsto become hard or stiffened because of loss of heat, as objects containing moisture:Meat will freeze in a few hours.
- to suffer the effects of intense cold;
have the sensation of extreme cold:We sat there freezing until the heat came on. - Physicsto be of the degree of cold at which water freezes:It may freeze tonight.
- to lose warmth of feeling;
be stunned or chilled with fear, shock, etc.:My heart froze when she told me the news. - to become immobilized through fear, shock, etc.:When he got in front of the audience he froze.
- to stop suddenly and remain motionless;
halt:I froze in my tracks. - to become obstructed by the formation of ice, as pipes:Our basement water pipes often freeze in winter.
- to die or be injured because of frost or cold.
- Building(of a screw, nail, or the like) to become rigidly fixed in place, as from rust or dirt.
- to become fixed to something by or as if by the action of frost.
- to become unfriendly, secretive, or aloof (often fol. by up):He froze at such a personal question.
- to become temporarily inoperable;
cease to function (often fol. by up):The new software made my computer freeze. v.t. - Physicsto harden into ice;
change from a fluid to a solid form by loss of heat; congeal. - Physicsto form ice on the surface of (a river, pond, etc.).
- to harden or stiffen (an object containing moisture) by cold.
- to quick-freeze.
- to subject to freezing temperature;
place in a freezer or in the freezing compartment of a refrigerator. - to cause to suffer the effects of intense cold;
produce the sensation of extreme cold in. - to cause to lose warmth as if by cold;
chill with fear; dampen the enthusiasm of. - to cause (a person or animal) to become fixed through fright, alarm, shock, etc.:Terror froze him to the steering wheel.
- to kill by frost or cold:A late snow froze the buds.
- to fix fast with ice:a sled frozen to a sidewalk.
- to obstruct or close (a pipe or the like) by the formation of ice:The storm had frozen the hydrant.
- Governmentto fix (rents, prices, etc.) at a specific amount, usually by government order.
- Governmentto stop or limit production, use, or development of:an agreement to freeze nuclear weapons.
- Business[Finance.]to render impossible of liquidation or collection:Bank loans are frozen in business depressions.
- Surgeryto render part of the body insensitive to pain or slower in its function by artificial means.
- Games[Cards.]
- [Canasta.]to play a wild card on (the discard pile) so as to make it frozen.
- [Poker.]to eliminate (other players) in a game of freezeout.
- Photographyto photograph (a moving subject) at a shutter speed fast enough to produce an unblurred, seemingly motionless image.
- Cinema, Show Business[Motion Pictures.]to stop by means of a freeze-frame mechanism:You can freeze the action at any point.
- Sportto maintain possession of (a ball or puck) for as long as possible, usually without trying to score, thereby reducing the opponent's opportunities for scoring.
- Sport[Ice Hockey.]to hold (a puck) against the boards with the skates or stick, causing play to stop and forcing a face-off.
- Informal Terms freeze on or onto, to adhere closely to;
hold on; seize. - freeze out, to exclude or compel (somebody) to withdraw from membership, acceptance, a position of influence or advantage, etc., by cold treatment or severe competition.
- freeze over, to coat or become coated with ice:The lake freezes over for several months each year.
n. - the act of freezing;
state of being frozen. - MeteorologyAlso called ice-up. a widespread occurrence of temperatures below 32°F (0°C) persisting for at least several days:A freeze is expected in the coastal areas.
- a frost.
- Governmenta legislative action, esp. in time of national emergency, to control prices, rents, production, etc.:The government put a freeze on new construction.
- Governmenta decision by one or more nations to stop or limit production or development of weapons, esp. nuclear weapons.
- bef. 1000; (verb, verbal) Middle English fresen, Old English frēosan; cognate with Middle Low German vrēsen, Old Norse frjōsa, Old High German friosan (German frieren); (noun, nominal) late Middle English frese, derivative of the verb, verbal
freez′a•ble, adj. freez′a•bil′i•ty, n. |