antifreeze

American  

[an-ti-freez, an-tee-] / ˈæn tɪˌfriz, ˈæn ti- /

noun

• antifreezes
  plural

1. a liquid used in the radiator of an internal-combustion engine to lower the freezing point of the cooling medium.

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antifreeze British  

/ ˈæntɪˌfriːz /

noun

1. a liquid, usually ethylene glycol (ethanediol), added to cooling water to lower its freezing point, esp for use in an internal-combustion engine

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• antifreezes
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of antifreeze

First recorded in 1910–15; anti- + freeze

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Explanation

Antifreeze is a liquid that lowers the freezing point of water. People put antifreeze in cars so water in the engine doesn't freeze. When water or another liquid freezes, it becomes a solid. A word starting with the prefix anti works against something. Antifreeze is a synthetic liquid that keeps water (or another liquid) from freezing by lowering the freezing point. This is important for many kinds of engines, such as car engines. In climates with very low temperatures in winter, putting antifreeze in cars is important. Antifreeze is crucial to many other machines and gadgets, because frozen liquid can disturb their operation.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

antifreeze antifreezes

Producers are expected to add antifreeze into the gas stream, for instance.

From Barron's ● Jan. 22, 2026

The experimental approach uses a medication typically given to patients poisoned by antifreeze.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 18, 2026

Cryonics is where the whole body is cooled down to sub-zero temperatures, infused with cryoprotectants - which is similar to antifreeze - to prevent ice crystal formation, then preserved in liquid nitrogen.

From BBC ● Nov. 18, 2025

The colorless gas is also used to make chemicals found in products such as antifreeze, detergents, plastics and adhesives.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2025

Her teacher said that the lemmings had a chemical similar to antifreeze in their blood, that kept them active all winter when other little mammals were hibernating.

From "Julie of the Wolves" by Jean Craighead George

Say the words “gas station food” and a certain image probably comes to mind: Dusty, sodium-packed snacks nestled among neon antifreezes and pine-scented air fresheners.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 6, 2026

Minard says the overall cost of making it will be ‘near to or lower than’ ethylene glycol antifreezes, and they are optimistic it will be reach the market within a few years.

From Scientific American ● Mar. 27, 2015

For maximum protection, some Arctic insects use a combination of such cryoprotectants and antifreezes to control ice formation, to protect cells and to prevent refreezing as they thaw.

From New York Times ● Jan. 19, 2010

Unlike the protein antifreezes of other beetles, snow fleas and moths, the Upis antifreeze is a complex sugar called xylomannan that is as effective at suppressing ice growth as the most active insect protein antifreezes.

From New York Times ● Jan. 19, 2010

In the most frigid polar waters, fish and other animals flourish, their blood kept fluid by biochemical antifreezes.

From Time Magazine Archive

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