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Freeze Meaning: Definition, Examples, and Translations

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freeze

[friːz ]

Definitions

Context #1 | Verb

weather

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

Synonyms

crystallize, solidify.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

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Word Description / Examples
freeze

Used when talking about lowering temperature to the point where a liquid turns into a solid, or stopping motion.

  • The winter cold will freeze the lake.
  • Please freeze the leftover food to keep it fresh.
  • The computer will freeze if you run too many programs at once.
solidify

Generally used to describe the process of making something solid or more definite, often in a metaphorical sense.

  • The mixture will solidify as it cools.
  • Attending the workshop helped her solidify her knowledge of the subject.
  • The team's performance solidified their position at the top of the league.
crystallize

Commonly used in scientific or figurative contexts to describe the process of forming or making something clear and definite.

  • Over time, the sugar will crystallize in the jar.
  • The scientist was able to crystallize her theory after years of research.
  • His ideas began to crystallize into a solid plan.

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.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

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Word Description / Examples
freeze

Use when referring to someone or something becoming motionless, often due to fear or surprise.

  • The deer froze when it saw the headlights
  • Hearing a loud noise, she froze in her tracks
stop

Use in everyday situations to indicate ceasing an activity or motion.

  • Please stop talking during the movie
  • The bus stops here every 15 minutes
halt

Use in formal or official contexts to indicate stopping an action or movement, often abruptly.

  • The police halted traffic for the parade
  • Due to technical difficulties, production was halted

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.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

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Word Description / Examples
freeze

In the context of systems or programs, 'freeze' describes a state where the system stops responding to inputs, usually temporarily. The metaphorical use refers to any kind of situation where progress is halted.

  • If you click too fast, the program might freeze, causing a loss of progress.
  • The system freeze was caused by an unexpected bug.
hang

Use 'hang' when a computer program or system becomes unresponsive but hasn't completely crashed. Commonly used in computing to describe a slow or stalled process.

  • My laptop tends to hang when I run too many background applications.
  • The Word document started to hang after it exceeded the large file size.
crash

Use 'crash' when referring to a sudden failure of a system, especially computer systems or software. This term often implies a need for a restart or troubleshooting.

  • The application will crash if there is a memory overload.
  • His computer crashed right before he could save his work.

Examples of usage

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

Translations

To see the translation, please select a language from the options available.

Interesting Facts

Science

  • Water freezes at 0 degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit), a key point in temperature measurement.
  • When water freezes, its molecules arrange into a crystalline structure, making ice less dense than liquid water.
  • Freezing is a physical change, meaning that when ice melts, it can return to its original liquid form without any chemical alteration.

Pop Culture

  • In the animated movie 'Frozen', the character Elsa has the magical ability to freeze objects and create ice structures.
  • The term 'freeze-frame' is often used in photography and film to describe a still image captured from a moving scene.
  • Colloquially, when someone is told to 'freeze', it can mean to stop and remain very still, often in a playful context.

Psychology

  • The 'freeze' response is one of the body's reactions to fear, where a person may become immobile to avoid detection.
  • In therapy, some techniques encourage 'freezing' a mental image to help process overwhelming emotions.
  • Children often go through a 'freeze' stage during play, where they pause to observe or think before acting.

History

  • During the Ice Age, large parts of the Earth were covered in ice, shaping landscapes and human evolution.
  • The invention of refrigeration in the 19th century revolutionized food storage, allowing perishables to freeze and last longer.
  • In World War II, freezing temperatures in key battles affected troops' mobility and survival rates.

Origin of 'freeze'

Main points about word origin

  • The word comes from the Old English 'freosan', meaning 'to harden' or 'to become solid'.
  • In Middle English, it was spelled 'freesen', showing its long history in the English language.
  • The term gained popularity in the context of food preservation in the 19th century as technology advanced.

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.