freeze
♦ freeze /fr'iːz/ (freezes freezing froze frozen)
1 [VERB] V, V adj, V n, V-ed, also V n adj
If a liquid or a substance containing a liquid freezes, or if something freezes it, it becomes solid because of low temperatures.
If the temperature drops below 0°C, water freezes...
The ground froze solid.
...the discovery of how to freeze water at higher temperatures.
...frozen puddles.
2 [VERB] V n, V adv
If you freeze something such as food, you preserve it by storing it at a temperature below freezing point. You can also talk about how well food freezes.
You can freeze the soup at this stage...
Most fresh herbs will freeze successfully.
3 [VERB] it V
When it freezes outside, the temperature falls below freezing point.
What if it rained and then froze all through those months?
[N-COUNT]
Freeze is also a noun.
The trees were damaged by a freeze in December.
4 [VERB] V
If you freeze, you feel extremely cold.
The windows didn't fit at the bottom so for a while we froze even in the middle of summer...
5 [VERB] V
If someone who is moving freezes, they suddenly stop and become completely still and quiet. (WRITTEN)
She froze when the beam of the flashlight struck her.
6 [VERB] V n
If the government or a company freeze things such as prices or wages, they state officially that they will not allow them to increase for a fixed period of time. (BUSINESS)
They want the government to freeze prices...
[N-COUNT] with supp
Freeze is also a noun.
A wage freeze was imposed on all staff earlier this month.
7 [VERB] V n, V n
If a government freezes a plan or process, they state officially that they will not allow it to continue for a period of time.
Britain has already frozen its aid programme...
Diplomatic relations were frozen until August this year.
[N-COUNT] with supp
Freeze is also a noun.
...a freeze in nuclear weapons programs.
8 [VERB] V n, V n
If someone in authority freezes something such as a bank account, fund, or property, they obtain a legal order which states that it cannot be used or sold for a particular period of time. (BUSINESS)
The governor's action freezes 300,000 accounts...
Under these laws, he said, Mr. Rice's assets could have been frozen.
[N-COUNT] with supp
Freeze is also a noun.
...a freeze on private savings.
9
see also freezing, frozendeep freeze (deep freezes)
also deep-freeze
[N-COUNT]
A deep freeze is the same as a freezer.freeze out
[PHRASAL VERB] V n P of n, also V n P
If you freeze someone out of an activity or situation, you prevent them from being involved in it by creating difficulties or by being unfriendly.
Other traders did everything they could to freeze us out of the business.
= squeeze outfreeze over
[PHRASAL VERB] V P, V-ed P
If something freezes over, it becomes covered with a layer of ice or other frozen substance.
The air temperature was well below freezing, and lakes and rivers froze over...
The lakes are still frozen over.freeze up
[PHRASAL VERB] V P, V P n (not pron), also V n P
If something freezes up or if something freezes it up, it becomes completely covered or blocked with ice.
...lavatories that often freeze up in winter...
Ice could freeze up their torpedo release mechanisms.
= ice up
1 [VERB] V, V adj, V n, V-ed, also V n adj
If a liquid or a substance containing a liquid freezes, or if something freezes it, it becomes solid because of low temperatures.
If the temperature drops below 0°C, water freezes...
The ground froze solid.
...the discovery of how to freeze water at higher temperatures.
...frozen puddles.
2 [VERB] V n, V adv
If you freeze something such as food, you preserve it by storing it at a temperature below freezing point. You can also talk about how well food freezes.
You can freeze the soup at this stage...
Most fresh herbs will freeze successfully.
3 [VERB] it V
When it freezes outside, the temperature falls below freezing point.
What if it rained and then froze all through those months?
[N-COUNT]
Freeze is also a noun.
The trees were damaged by a freeze in December.
4 [VERB] V
If you freeze, you feel extremely cold.
The windows didn't fit at the bottom so for a while we froze even in the middle of summer...
5 [VERB] V
If someone who is moving freezes, they suddenly stop and become completely still and quiet. (WRITTEN)
She froze when the beam of the flashlight struck her.
6 [VERB] V n
If the government or a company freeze things such as prices or wages, they state officially that they will not allow them to increase for a fixed period of time. (BUSINESS)
They want the government to freeze prices...
[N-COUNT] with supp
Freeze is also a noun.
A wage freeze was imposed on all staff earlier this month.
7 [VERB] V n, V n
If a government freezes a plan or process, they state officially that they will not allow it to continue for a period of time.
Britain has already frozen its aid programme...
Diplomatic relations were frozen until August this year.
[N-COUNT] with supp
Freeze is also a noun.
...a freeze in nuclear weapons programs.
8 [VERB] V n, V n
If someone in authority freezes something such as a bank account, fund, or property, they obtain a legal order which states that it cannot be used or sold for a particular period of time. (BUSINESS)
The governor's action freezes 300,000 accounts...
Under these laws, he said, Mr. Rice's assets could have been frozen.
[N-COUNT] with supp
Freeze is also a noun.
...a freeze on private savings.
9
see also freezing, frozendeep freeze (deep freezes)
also deep-freeze
[N-COUNT]
A deep freeze is the same as a freezer.freeze out
[PHRASAL VERB] V n P of n, also V n P
If you freeze someone out of an activity or situation, you prevent them from being involved in it by creating difficulties or by being unfriendly.
Other traders did everything they could to freeze us out of the business.
= squeeze outfreeze over
[PHRASAL VERB] V P, V-ed P
If something freezes over, it becomes covered with a layer of ice or other frozen substance.
The air temperature was well below freezing, and lakes and rivers froze over...
The lakes are still frozen over.freeze up
[PHRASAL VERB] V P, V P n (not pron), also V n P
If something freezes up or if something freezes it up, it becomes completely covered or blocked with ice.
...lavatories that often freeze up in winter...
Ice could freeze up their torpedo release mechanisms.
= ice up