Definition of thaw

The word "thaw" originates from the Old Norse word "thauðr," meaning "melting" or "deceasing." It was borrowed into Middle English in the late 13th century, where it was first recorded as "thawen," which meant "to melt" or "to become soft." Initially, the word "thaw" was primarily used to describe the melting of snow or ice due to rising temperatures. In its earliest forms, thaw was used as both a transitive and intransitive verb. For example, "The sun thawed the snow" or "The snow thawed" (meaning "The snow melted.") The term also had figurative uses, such as "to thaw one's heart" or "to thaw out frozen emotions," which came into use by the 17th century. Today, the meaning of "thaw" has expanded slightly to encompass any process of melting or defrosting, as in "Thaw the turkey before cooking it." In summary, the word "thaw" originated from Old Norse and evolved through Middle English, where it developed both transitive and intransitive meanings, and continued to be widely used with changing connotations over time.