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Freeze: meaning, definitions and examples

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freeze

 

[ friːz ]

Verb / Noun
Oxford 3000
Context #1 | Verb

weather

To reach or drop below zero degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit), causing water to turn into ice.

Synonyms

crystallize, solidify

Examples of usage

  • The temperature will freeze tonight.
  • The lake froze over during the cold snap.
Context #2 | Verb

motion

To become motionless or immobile.

Synonyms

halt, stop

Examples of usage

  • He froze when he saw the bear in the woods.
  • Don't freeze, keep moving!
Context #3 | Noun

computing

A state in which a program or system stops responding to inputs.

Synonyms

crash, hang

Examples of usage

  • My computer experienced a freeze and I had to restart it.
  • The freeze was caused by a software bug.

Translations

Translations of the word "freeze" in other languages:

🇵🇹 congelar

🇮🇳 जमाना

🇩🇪 gefrieren

🇮🇩 membekukan

🇺🇦 заморожувати

🇵🇱 zamarzać

🇯🇵 凍る (こおる)

🇫🇷 geler

🇪🇸 congelar

🇹🇷 dondurmak

🇰🇷 얼다

🇸🇦 تجميد

🇨🇿 zmrazit

🇸🇰 zmraziť

🇨🇳 冻结 (dòngjié)

🇸🇮 zamrzniti

🇮🇸 frysta

🇰🇿 мұздату

🇬🇪 გაყინვა

🇦🇿 dondurmaq

🇲🇽 congelar

Etymology

The word 'freeze' originated from Old English 'freosan' meaning 'to freeze, become stiff'. Over time, the word evolved to its current form and meaning. Freezing has been a natural phenomenon for centuries, with humans developing techniques to preserve food through freezing. In the context of technology, the term 'freeze' has been used to describe system unresponsiveness since the early days of computing.

See also: freezer, freezing, frozen, unfreeze, unfreezing.

Word Frequency Rank

At #7,485 in frequency, this word belongs to advanced vocabulary. It's less common than core vocabulary but important for sophisticated expression.