Hypertext Webster Gateway: "thaw"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Thaw \Thaw\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Thawed}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Thawing}.] [AS. [thorn][=a]wian, [thorn][=a]wan; akin to D.
dovijen, G. tauen, thauen (cf. also verdauen 8digest, OHG.
douwen, firdouwen), Icel. [thorn]eyja, Sw. t["o]a, Dan.
t["o]e, and perhaps to Gr. ? to melt. [root]56.]
1. To melt, dissolve, or become fluid; to soften; -- said of
that which is frozen; as, the ice thaws.
2. To become so warm as to melt ice and snow; -- said in
reference to the weather, and used impersonally.
3. Fig.: To grow gentle or genial.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Thaw \Thaw\, v. t.
To cause (frozen things, as earth, snow, ice) to melt,
soften, or dissolve.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Thaw \Thaw\, n.
The melting of ice, snow, or other congealed matter; the
resolution of ice, or the like, into the state of a fluid;
liquefaction by heat of anything congealed by frost; also, a
warmth of weather sufficient to melt that which is congealed.
--Dryden.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
thaw
n 1: the process whereby heat changes something from a solid to a
liquid; "the power failure caused a refrigerator melt
that was a disaster"; "the thawing of a frozen turkey
takes several hours" [syn: {melt}, {thawing}, {melting}]
2: warm weather following a freeze; snow and ice melt; "they
welcomed the spring thaw" [syn: {thawing}, {warming}]
v : become or cause to become soft or liquid; "The sun melted
the ice"; "the ice thawed"; "the ice cream melted"; "The
heat melted the wax" [syn: {unfreeze}, {unthaw}, {melt}]
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