Freeze: meaning, definitions and examples

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freeze

[ friːz ]

^{Context #1}

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}

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}

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

Word origin

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.