Freeze | Webster's Dictionary (1865)

Freeze, v. i.

verbintransitive

v. i. [imp. FROZE; p. p. FROZEN; p. pr. & vb. n. FREEZING.] [A-S. freósan, frysan, Icel. fríosa, Sw. frysa, Dan. fryse, O. H. Ger. friosan, friusan, M. H. Ger. vriesen, D. vriezen, L. Ger. fresen, N. H. Ger. frieren; Goth. frius, cold, frost.]

Sense 1. To become congealed by cold; to be changed from a liquid to a solid state by the abstraction of heat; to be hardened into ice or a like solid body.

Water freezes at the temperature of 32° above zero by Fahrenheit’s thermometer: mercury freezes at 40° below zero.

Sense 2. To become chilled with cold, or as with cold; to be of a low temperature; to suffer loss of animation or life by lack of heat; as, the blood freezes in the veins.

Freeze, v. t.

verbtransitive

v. t. 1. To congeal; to harden into ice; to convert from a fluid to a solid form by cold, or abstraction of heat. 2. To cause loss of animation or life in, from lack of heat; to give the sensation of cold and shivering to; to chill. A faint, cold fear runs through my veins, That almost freezes up the heat of life. Shak.

Freeze, n.

noun

n. 1. The act of congealing, or the state of being congealed or completely chilled. [Colloq.] 2. (Arch.) A frieze. See FRIEZE.