frozen

[ froh-zuh n ]

/ ˈfroʊ zən /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR frozen ON THESAURUS.COM

verb

past participle of freeze.

adjective

congealed by cold; turned into ice.

covered with ice, as a stream.

frigid; very cold.

injured or killed by frost or cold.

obstructed by ice, as pipes.

chilly or cold in manner; unfeeling: a frozen stare.

rigid; immobilized: The child was frozen with fear.

quick-frozen: frozen foods.

(of food) chilled or refrigerated.

(especially of a drink) mixed with ice and frappéed in an electric blender.

in a form that is not readily convertible into cash; not liquid: frozen assets.

not permitted to be changed or incapable of being altered; fixed: frozen rents; frozen salaries.

Canasta. (of the discard pile) unable to be picked up by a player unless the player's hand contains a natural pair to match the top card of the pile.Compare freeze(def 29a)

Nearby words

Related formsfro·zen·ly, adverbfro·zen·ness, nounpre·fro·zen, adjectiveun·fro·zen, adjective

Definition for frozen (2 of 2)

freeze

[ freez ]

/ friz /

verb (used without object), froze, fro·zen, freez·ing.

to become hardened into ice or into a solid body; change from the liquid to the solid state by loss of heat.

to become hard or stiffened because of loss of heat, as objects containing moisture: Meat will freeze in a few hours.

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.

to become temporarily inoperable; cease to function (often followed by up): The new software made my computer freeze.

verb (used with object), froze, fro·zen, freez·ing.

to harden into ice; change from a fluid to a solid form by loss of heat; congeal.

to form ice on the surface of (a river, pond, etc.).

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.

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

Cards.

Canasta. to play a wild card on (the discard pile) so as to make it frozen.
Poker. to eliminate (other players) in a game of freezeout.

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.

noun

the act of freezing; state of being frozen.

Also called ice-up. Meteorology. a widespread occurrence of temperatures below 32°F (0°C) persisting for at least several days: A freeze is expected in the coastal areas.

a frost.

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.

Verb Phrases

freeze on/onto, Informal. to adhere closely to; hold on; seize.

freeze out, to exclude or compel (somebody) to withdraw from membership, acceptance, a position of influence or advantage, etc., by cold treatment or severe competition.

freeze over, to coat or become coated with ice: The lake freezes over for several months each year.

Origin of freeze

before 1000; (v.) Middle English fresen, Old English frēosan; cognate with Middle Low German vrēsen, Old Norse frjōsa, Old High German friosan (German frieren); (noun) late Middle English frese, derivative of the v.

Related forms

freez·a·ble, adjectivefreez·a·bil·i·ty, nounde·freeze, verb (used with object), de·froze, de·fro·zen, de·freez·ing.non·freez·a·ble, adjective

post·freeze, adjectivepre·freeze, verb (used with object), pre·froze, pre·fro·zen, pre·freez·ing.re·freez·a·ble, adjectivere·freeze, verb, re·froze, re·fro·zen, re·freez·ing.un·freez·a·ble, adjective

Can be confusedfreeze frieze

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for frozen

Defrost overnight in the refrigerator (if frozen) and bake before serving.
Make These Barefoot Contessa Chicken Pot Pies|Ina Garten|November 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Stir in the frozen peas and chicken, taste for seasonings, and pour the mixture into six (2-cup) ovenproof serving bowls.
Make These Barefoot Contessa Chicken Pot Pies|Ina Garten|November 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Without it in the atmosphere, the Earth would be a barren, frozen wasteland.
Extreme Weather? Blame the End Times|Jay Michaelson|November 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Since then, all dividend payments have been frozen and Iran receives “no uranium or revenue from the mine.”
McCain Helps a Business Partner of Iran|Ben Jacobs|November 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST

He was later sued by his lawyers in London for failing to pay $419,400 in counsel fees when his assets were frozen.
The Mysterious Death of the Art World’s Favorite Sheikh|Lizzie Crocker|November 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Gray Cloud, in a trance, might already have frozen to death.
Shaman|Robert Shea
They availed themselves of a very hard winter to penetrate into the land over the frozen water.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 5|Various
Frozen punch, when served, comes between the meat and game courses.
The Century Cook Book|Mary Ronald
Flying in and out of the briar-thickets are innumerable white-throated sparrows fleeing from frozen Canada and the lake country.
Birds and Nature Vol. 11 No. 1 [January 1902]|Various
The man, who is frozen to death, knows nothing of the cruelties of northern cold.
Lords of the North|A. C. Laut

British Dictionary definitions for frozen (1 of 2)

frozen

/ (ˈfrəʊzən) /

verb

the past participle of freeze

adjective

turned into or covered with ice

obstructed or blocked by ice

killed, injured, or stiffened by extreme cold

(of a region or climate) icy or snowy

(of food) preserved by a freezing process

(of prices, wages, etc) arbitrarily pegged at a certain level
(of business assets) not convertible into cash, as by government direction or business conditions

frigid, unfeeling, or disdainful in manner

motionless or unyieldinghe was frozen with horror

Derived Formsfrozenly, adverbfrozenness, noun

British Dictionary definitions for frozen (2 of 2)

freeze

/ (friːz) /

verb freezes, freezing, froze (frəʊz) or frozen (ˈfrəʊzən)

to change (a liquid) into a solid as a result of a reduction in temperature, or (of a liquid) to solidify in this way, esp to convert or be converted into ice

(when intr, sometimes foll by over or up) to cover, clog, or harden with ice, or become so covered, clogged, or hardenedthe lake froze over last week

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, etche 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

noun

the act of freezing or state of being frozen

meteorol a spell of temperatures below freezing point, usually over a wide area

the fixing of incomes, prices, etc, by legislation

another word for frost

sentence substitute

mainly US a command to stop still instantly or risk being shot

Derived Formsfreezable, adjective

Word Origin for freeze

Old English frēosan; related to Old Norse frjōsa, Old High German friosan, Latin prūrīre to itch; see frost

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

Word Origin and History for frozen (1 of 3)

frozen

adj.

mid-14c., past participle adjective from freeze (v.). Figurative use is from 1570s. Of assets, bank accounts, etc., from 1922.

Word Origin and History for frozen (1 of 3)

freeze

Old English freosan "turn to ice" (class II strong verb; past tense freas, past participle froren), from Proto-Germanic *freusanan (cf. Old Norse frjosa, Old High German friosan, German frieren "to freeze," Gothic frius "frost"), from Proto-Germanic *freus-, equivalent to PIE root *preus- "to freeze," also "to burn" (cf. Sanskrit prusva, Latin pruina "hoarfrost," Welsh rhew "frost," Sanskrit prustah "burnt," Albanian prus "burning coals," Latin pruna "a live coal").

Transitive sense first recorded 14c., figurative sense c.1400. Meaning "become rigid or motionless" attested by 1720. Sense of "fix at a certain level, make non-transactable" is 1922. Freeze frame is from 1960, originally "a briefly Frozen Shot after the Jingle to allow ample time for Change over at the end of a T.V. 'Commercial.' " ["ABC of Film & TV," 1960].

Word Origin and History for frozen (2 of 3)

freeze

c.1400, from freeze (v.).

Medicine definitions for frozen

freeze

[ frēz ]

v.

To pass from the liquid to the solid state by loss of heat.

To make or become congealed, stiffened, or hardened by exposure to cold.

Science definitions for frozen

freeze

[ frēz ]

To change from a liquid to a solid state by cooling or being cooled to the freezing point.

frozen

verb

adjective

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Definition for frozen (2 of 2)

freeze

verb (used without object), froze, fro·zen, freez·ing.

verb (used with object), froze, fro·zen, freez·ing.

noun

Verb Phrases

Origin of freeze

Examples from the Web for frozen

British Dictionary definitions for frozen (1 of 2)

frozen

verb

adjective

British Dictionary definitions for frozen (2 of 2)

freeze

verb freezes, freezing, froze (frəʊz) or frozen (ˈfrəʊzən)

noun

sentence substitute

Word Origin for freeze

Word Origin and History for frozen (1 of 3)

frozen

Word Origin and History for frozen (1 of 3)

freeze

Word Origin and History for frozen (2 of 3)

freeze

Medicine definitions for frozen

freeze

v.

Science definitions for frozen

freeze