thaw

 
Pronunciation: /θɔː/

verb

[no object]
  • (of ice, snow, or another frozen substance, such as food) become liquid or soft as a result of warming up: the river thawed and barges of food began to reach the capital (as noun thawing) catastrophic summer floods caused by thawing
  • (it thaws, it is thawing, etc.) the weather becomes warmer and causes snow and ice to melt.
  • [with object] make (something) warm enough to become liquid or soft: European exporters simply thawed their beef before unloading
  • (of a part of the body) become warm enough to stop feeling numb: Riven began to feel his ears and toes thaw out
  • make or become friendlier or more cordial: [no object]: she thawed out sufficiently to allow a smile to appear

noun

  • a period of warmer weather that thaws ice and snow: the thaw came yesterday afternoon
  • an increase in friendliness or cordiality: a thaw in relations between the USA and the USSR

Origin:

Old English thawian (verb), of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch dooien. The noun (first recorded in Middle English) developed its figurative use in the mid 19th century