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freeze-up

[ freez-uhp ]
/ ˈfrizˌʌp /

noun Informal.

a freezing over of a body of water in an area.
a period of below-freezing temperatures.
the condition of being immobilized or inoperative through freezing: car engine freeze-up in winter.

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To cook in water that begins cold and then reaches a boil.
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Origin of freeze-up

1875–80, Americanism; noun use of verb phrase freeze up

Words nearby freeze-up

freeze frame, freeze one's blood, freezeout, freezer, freezer burn, freeze-up, freezing, freezing drizzle, freezing injunction, freezing mixture, freezing point
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for freeze-up

British Dictionary definitions for freeze-up

freeze-up

noun informal

a period of freezing or extremely cold weather
US and Canadian
  1. the freezing of lakes, rivers, and topsoil in autumn or early winter
  2. the time of year when this occurs
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012