thaw

== English == === Alternative forms === thow (dialectal, Scotland) === Etymology === From Middle English thowen, thawen, from Old English þawian, *þāwan (“to thaw”), from Proto-West Germanic *þauwjan, from Proto-Germanic *þawjaną (“to thaw”), from Proto-Indo-European *teh₂- (“to melt”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian daie, dauje (“to thaw”), West Frisian teie (“to thaw”), Dutch dooien (“to thaw”), German Low German deien (“to thaw”), German tauen (“to thaw”), Swedish töa (“to thaw”), Icelandic þeyja (“to thaw”). === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /θɔː/ (General American) IPA(key): /θɔ/ (cot–caught merger) IPA(key): /θɑ/ (General Australian) IPA(key): /θoː/ Rhymes: -ɔː === Verb === thaw (third-person singular simple present thaws, present participle thawing, simple past and past participle thawed) (intransitive) To gradually melt, dissolve, or become fluid; to soften from frozen. (impersonal, intransitive) To become sufficiently warm to melt ice and snow, said in reference to the weather. (intransitive, figuratively) To grow gentle or genial. (transitive) To gradually cause frozen things (such as earth, snow, ice) to melt, soften, or dissolve. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === Noun === thaw (plural thaws) The melting of ice, snow, or other frozen or congealed matter; the transformation of ice or the like into the state of a fluid; liquefaction by heat of anything congealed by frost a period of weather warm enough to melt that which is frozen (figuratively) A period of relaxation, of reduced reserve, tension, or hostility or of increased friendliness or understanding. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === Derived terms === dethaw unthaw === See also === snowmelt === Anagrams === HAWT, Wath, hawt, wath, what == Mizo == === Verb === thaw (stem II thâwt) (of wind) to blow === Further reading === Lorrain, J. Herbert (1940), “thaw”, in Dictionary of the Lushai language, Calcutta: Asiatic Society == Welsh == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /θau̯/ === Verb === thaw aspirate mutation of taw === Mutation ===