thickening

[ thik-uh-ning ]
/ ˈθɪk ə nɪŋ /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR thickening ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a making or becoming thick.
a thickened part or area; swelling.
something used to thicken; thickener.

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Origin of thickening

First recorded in 1570–80; thicken + -ing1

Words nearby thickening

thick-skulled, thick-tailed ray, thick-witted, thicken, thickener, thickening, thicket, thickhead, thickheaded, thickie, thickleaf

Definition for thickening (2 of 2)

thicken
[ thik-uh n ]
/ ˈθɪk ən /

verb (used with or without object)

to make or become thick or thicker.
to make or grow more intense, profound, intricate, or complex: The plot thickens.

Origin of thicken

1375–1425; late Middle English thiknen < Old Norse thykkna. See thick, -en1

OTHER WORDS FROM thicken

re·thick·en, verbun·thick·en, verb (used with object)
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to thickening

clot, curdle, swell, congeal, condense, stiffen, enlarge, widen, buttress, reinforce, inspissate, jelly, freeze, harden, add, solidify, cake, deepen, coagulate, ossify

Example sentences from the Web for thickening

British Dictionary definitions for thickening (1 of 2)

thickening
/ (ˈθɪkənɪŋ) /

noun

something added to a liquid to thicken it
a thickened part or piece

British Dictionary definitions for thickening (2 of 2)

thicken
/ (ˈθɪkən) /

verb

to make or become thick or thickerthicken the soup by adding flour
(intr) to become more involvedthe plot thickened

Derived forms of thicken

thickener, noun
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