melt
melt /m'elt/ (melts melting melted)
1 [VERB] V, V n, V-ed
When a solid substance melts or when you melt it, it changes to a liquid, usually because it has been heated.
The snow had melted, but the lake was still frozen solid...
Meanwhile, melt the white chocolate in a bowl suspended over simmering water...
Add the melted butter, molasses, salt, and flour.
2 [VERB] V
If something such as your feelings melt, they suddenly disappear and you no longer feel them. (LITERARY)
His anxiety about the outcome melted, to return later but not yet...
= dissolve
[PHRASAL VERB] V P
Melt away means the same as melt.
When he heard these words, Shinran felt his inner doubts melt away.
3 [VERB] V into n
If a person or thing melts into something such as darkness or a crowd of people, they become difficult to see, for example because they are moving away from you or are the same colour as the background. (LITERARY)
The youths dispersed and melted into the darkness...
= disappear
4 [VERB] V n, V
If someone or something melts your heart, or if your heart melts, you start to feel love or sympathy towards them.
When his lips break into a smile, it is enough to melt any woman's heart...
When a bride walks down the aisle to a stirring tune, even the iciest of hearts melt.melt away
[PHRASAL VERB] V P
If a crowd of people melts away, members of the crowd gradually leave until there is no-one left.
The crowd around the bench began to melt away.
see also melt 2melt down
[PHRASAL VERB] be V-ed P, V n P, V P n (not pron)
If an object is melted down, it is heated until it melts, so that the material can be used to make something else.
Some of the guns were melted down and used to help build a statue...
When Jefferson didn't like a pair of goblets given to him as a gift, he asked a local smith to melt them down...
Some thieves do not even bother to melt down stolen silver for its scrap value.
1 [VERB] V, V n, V-ed
When a solid substance melts or when you melt it, it changes to a liquid, usually because it has been heated.
The snow had melted, but the lake was still frozen solid...
Meanwhile, melt the white chocolate in a bowl suspended over simmering water...
Add the melted butter, molasses, salt, and flour.
2 [VERB] V
If something such as your feelings melt, they suddenly disappear and you no longer feel them. (LITERARY)
His anxiety about the outcome melted, to return later but not yet...
= dissolve
[PHRASAL VERB] V P
Melt away means the same as melt.
When he heard these words, Shinran felt his inner doubts melt away.
3 [VERB] V into n
If a person or thing melts into something such as darkness or a crowd of people, they become difficult to see, for example because they are moving away from you or are the same colour as the background. (LITERARY)
The youths dispersed and melted into the darkness...
= disappear
4 [VERB] V n, V
If someone or something melts your heart, or if your heart melts, you start to feel love or sympathy towards them.
When his lips break into a smile, it is enough to melt any woman's heart...
When a bride walks down the aisle to a stirring tune, even the iciest of hearts melt.melt away
[PHRASAL VERB] V P
If a crowd of people melts away, members of the crowd gradually leave until there is no-one left.
The crowd around the bench began to melt away.
see also melt 2melt down
[PHRASAL VERB] be V-ed P, V n P, V P n (not pron)
If an object is melted down, it is heated until it melts, so that the material can be used to make something else.
Some of the guns were melted down and used to help build a statue...
When Jefferson didn't like a pair of goblets given to him as a gift, he asked a local smith to melt them down...
Some thieves do not even bother to melt down stolen silver for its scrap value.