Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Language: Old English
Origin: freosan

freeze

1 verb
     
freeze1 past tense froze, past participle frozen
1

liquid

[intransitive and transitive] if a liquid or something wet freezes or is frozen, it becomes hard and solid because the temperature is very cold [↪ melt, thaw]:
The lake had frozen overnight.
2

food

[intransitive and transitive] to preserve food for a long time by keeping it at a very low temperature, or to be preserved in this way:
I think I'll freeze that extra meat.
Tomatoes don't freeze well.
3

machine/engine

[intransitive] if a machine, engine, pipe etc freezes, the liquid inside it becomes solid with cold, so that it does not work properly:
The water pipes have frozen.
4

weather

it freezes

if it freezes outside, the temperature falls to or below freezing point:
Do you think it'll freeze tonight?
5

feel cold

[intransitive] to feel very cold:
I nearly froze to death watching that football match.
6

wages/prices

[transitive] if a government or company freezes wages, prices etc, they do not increase them for a period of time:
The government has been forced to cut spending and freeze public-sector wages.
7

money/property

[transitive] to legally prevent money in a bank from being spent, property from being sold etc:
The court froze their assets.
8

stop moving

[intransitive] to stop moving suddenly and stay completely still and quiet:
I froze and listened; someone was in my apartment.
9

film

[transitive] to stop a film or video in order to be able to look at a particular part of it [↪ freeze-frame]:
He froze the picture on the screen.
10

somebody's blood freezes

used to say that someone is very frightened or shocked:
I heard his scream and felt my blood freeze.

freeze somebody ↔ out

phrasal verb
to deliberately prevent someone from being involved in something, by making it difficult for them, being unkind to them etc:
Why did you freeze me out?

freeze over

phrasal verb
if an area or pool of water freezes over, its surface turns into ice:
The lake has frozen over.

freeze up

phrasal verb
1 if a machine, engine, or pipe freezes up, the liquid inside becomes solid with cold so that it does not work properly [= freeze]
2 to suddenly be unable to speak or act normally:
I wouldn't know what to say. I'd just freeze up.
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.
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