freeze

Meaning

Verb

1. (copulative, intransitive) Especially of a liquid, to become solid due to low temperature.
2. (transitive) To lower something's temperature to the point that it freezes or becomes hard.
3. (intransitive) To drop to a temperature below zero degrees celsius, where water turns to ice.
4. (informal, intransitive) To be affected by extreme cold.
5. (intransitive) (of machines and software) To come to a sudden halt, stop working (functioning).
6. (intransitive) (of people and other animals) To stop (become motionless) or be stopped due to attentiveness, fear, surprise, etc.
7. (transitive) To cause someone to become motionless.
8. (figuratively) To lose or cause to lose warmth of feeling; to shut out; to ostracize.
9. To cause loss of animation or life in, from lack of heat; to give the sensation of cold to; to chill.
10. (transitive) To prevent the movement or liquidation of a person's financial assets
11. Of prices, spending etc., to keep at the same level, without any increase.
12. (ambitransitive) To prevent from showing any visible change.
13. (transitive) To trap (the puck) so that it cannot be played.

Noun

1. A period of intensely cold weather.
2. A halt of a regular operation.
3. The state when either a single computer program, or the whole system ceases to respond to inputs.
4. A precise draw weight shot where a delivered stone comes to a stand-still against a stationary stone, making it nearly impossible to knock out.
5. A block on pay rises or on the hiring of new employees etc.

Noun

Obsolete form of frieze.

Opposite of

defrost, liquify, unfreeze

Synonyms

congeal

frost

solidify

cold

🥶

freezing

refrigerate

frozen

coagulate

ice

🧊

stiffen

chill

curdle

shiver

become numb

clot

immobilise

halt

freeze down

petrified

be cold

petrify

cool

🆒

become solid

immobilize

freeze out

ice up

fix

thicken

be frozen over

stop

🛑

deep freeze

bitterness

crash

coolness

chilliness

chilled

hang

quick-freeze

set

shudder

congelation

glaciate

gelidity

congealment

glaciation

paralyze

peg

harden

frostiness

coldness

Translations

geler

gefrieren

congeler

congelar

congelare

helar

congelar

einfrieren

gelare

bevriezen

frieren

παγώνω

congelarse

gelar

congelar

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈfɹiːz/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: fresen

Inherited from Old English: frēosan

Cognate with Scots: frese

Cognate with Saterland Frisian: frjoze

Cognate with Western Frisian: frieze

Cognate with Dutch: vriezen

Cognate with Low German: freren

Cognate with German: frieren

Cognate with Danish: fryse

Cognate with Norwegian: fryse

Cognate with Swedish: frysa

Cognate with Latin: pruīna

Cognate with Welsh: -

Cognate with Sanskrit: प्रुष्व

In summary

From Middle English fresen, from Old English frēosan (“to freeze”), from Proto-West Germanic *freusan, from Proto-Germanic *freusaną (“to frost, freeze”), from Proto-Indo-European *prews- (“to frost, freeze”).
Cognate with Scots frese (“to freeze”), North Frisian friis, friise, früüs (“to freeze”), Saterland Frisian frjoze (“to freeze”), West Frisian frieze (“to freeze”), Dutch vriezen (“to freeze”), Low German freren, freern, fresen (“to freeze”), Luxembourgish fréieren (“freeze”), German frieren (“to freeze”), Yiddish פֿרירן (frirn, “freeze”), Cimbrian briizan, vriizan (“freeze”), Danish, Norwegian fryse (“freeze”), Swedish frysa (“to freeze”), Icelandic frjósa (“freeze”), Latin pruīna (“hoarfrost”), Welsh (Northern) rhew (“frost, ice”), and Sanskrit प्रुष्व (pruṣvá, “water drop, frost”).