freeze

to suffer the effects of intense cold; have the sensation of extreme cold: We sat there freezing until the heat came on.

to be of the degree of cold at which water freezes: It may freeze tonight.

to lose warmth of feeling; be stunned or chilled with fear, shock, etc.: My heart froze when she told me the news.

to become immobilized through fear, shock, etc.: When he got in front of the audience he froze.

to stop suddenly and remain motionless; halt: I froze in my tracks.

to become obstructed by the formation of ice, as pipes: Our basement water pipes often freeze in winter.

to die or be injured because of frost or cold.

(of a screw, nail, or the like) to become rigidly fixed in place, as from rust or dirt.

to become fixed to something by or as if by the action of frost.

to become unfriendly, secretive, or aloof (often followed by up): He froze at such a personal question.

Digital Technology. (of hardware or software) to become temporarily inoperable; cease to function (often followed by up): The new software made my laptop freeze.

to harden or stiffen (an object containing moisture) by cold.

to quick-freeze.

to subject to freezing temperature; place in a freezer or in the freezing compartment of a refrigerator.

to cause to suffer the effects of intense cold; produce the sensation of extreme cold in.

to cause to lose warmth as if by cold; chill with fear; dampen the enthusiasm of.

to cause (a person or animal) to become fixed through fright, alarm, shock, etc.: Terror froze him to the steering wheel.

to kill by frost or cold: A late snow froze the buds.

to fix fast with ice: a sled frozen to a sidewalk.

to obstruct or close (a pipe or the like) by the formation of ice: The storm had frozen the hydrant.

to fix (rents, prices, etc.) at a specific amount, usually by government order.

to stop or limit production, use, or development of: an agreement to freeze nuclear weapons.

Finance. to render impossible of liquidation or collection: Bank loans are frozen in business depressions.

Digital Technology. to render (hardware or software) temporarily inoperable: Ironically, it was a security update for my operating system that froze my computer.

Surgery. to render part of the body insensitive to pain or slower in its function by artificial means.

Cards.

to photograph (a moving subject) at a shutter speed fast enough to produce an unblurred, seemingly motionless image.

Movies. to stop by means of a freeze-frame mechanism: You can freeze the action at any point.

Sports. to maintain possession of (a ball or puck) for as long as possible, usually without trying to score, thereby reducing the opponent's opportunities for scoring.

Ice Hockey. to hold (a puck) against the boards with the skates or stick, causing play to stop and forcing a face-off.

a frost.

Digital Technology. a cease in function when software gets caught in loops or hardware lacks sufficient processing power to continue a task.

a legislative action, especially in time of national emergency, to control prices, rents, production, etc.: The government put a freeze on new construction.

a decision by one or more nations to stop or limit production or development of weapons, especially nuclear weapons.

to fix fast or become fixed (to something) because of the action of frost

(tr) to preserve (food) by subjection to extreme cold, as in a freezer

to feel or cause to feel the sensation or effects of extreme cold

to die or cause to die of frost or extreme cold

to become or cause to become paralysed, fixed, or motionless, esp through fear, shock, etc: he froze in his tracks

(tr) to cause (moving film) to stop at a particular frame

to decrease or cause to decrease in animation or vigour

to make or become formal, haughty, etc, in manner

(tr) to fix (prices, incomes, etc) at a particular level, usually by government direction

(tr) to forbid by law the exchange, liquidation, or collection of (loans, assets, etc)

(tr) to prohibit the manufacture, sale, or use of (something specified)

(tr) to stop (a process) at a particular stage of development

(tr) informal to render (tissue or a part of the body) insensitive, as by the application or injection of a local anaesthetic

(intr foll by onto) informal, mainly US to cling

the fixing of incomes, prices, etc, by legislation

another word for frost