freeze
6 ENTRIES FOUND:
Britannica Dictionary definition of FREEZE
1
:
to become a hard substance (such as ice) because of cold
[no object]
-
Water freezes (in)to ice.
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The pond froze over. [=the surface of the pond froze]
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The pond froze solid. [=the water in the pond froze completely]
[+ object]
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The low temperature froze the river (over).
2
[no object]
:
to be very cold
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The children are going to freeze out there without their coats.
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She nearly froze to death. [=nearly died from the cold]
3
:
to become blocked or unable to move because of ice
[no object]
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The water pipes froze.
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My car doors froze.
[+ object]
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The cold weather froze the water pipes.
4
:
to preserve (food) by storing it in a very cold place
[+ object]
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We froze the leftovers. [=we put the leftovers in the freezer]
[no object]
-
Some vegetables don't freeze well.
5
a
[no object]
:
to stop moving
:
to become completely still
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The guard ordered him to freeze.
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The deer froze in the road as the car approached it.
b
[no object]
:
to become unable to do or say anything
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She froze (up) when the teacher asked her a difficult question.
c
[no object]
:
to stop working
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The engine suddenly froze.
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My computer has frozen (up) again.
d
[+ object]
:
to cause (a person or animal) to stop moving
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A fake by the quarterback froze the defender.
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The lights of the approaching car froze the deer.
6
[+ object]
a
:
to stop (something, such as prices or wages) from changing or increasing
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The government froze prices on certain materials.
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The struggling company had to freeze wages and eliminate several jobs.
b
:
to stop (money or property) from being used, spent, etc.
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The government has frozen foreign assets.
freeze out
[phrasal verb]
freeze out (someone)
or
freeze (someone) out
:
to not allow (someone) to be included in an activity or group
-
a politician who is being frozen out by former supporters who accuse him of betraying the party
frozen stiff
when hell freezes over
— freezing
adjective or adverb-
Turn up the heat—I'm freezing (to death)! [=I'm very cold]
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It's freezing in here!
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The weather has been freezing [=very cold] lately.
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freezing weather
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It's freezing cold [=very cold] in here!
2
freeze
/ˈfriːz/
noun
plural
freezes
2
freeze
/ˈfriːz/
noun
plural
freezes
Britannica Dictionary definition of FREEZE
[count]
1
:
a period in which the weather is very cold
:
a time when temperatures are below 32°F or 0°C
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The freeze destroyed many oranges.
2
:
a stop in the increase, decrease, or change of prices or wages
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a six-month wage freeze = a six-month freeze on wages
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a price freeze
