defrost
Americanverb (used with object)
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to remove the frost or ice from.
to defrost a refrigerator; to defrost the windshield of a car.
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to thaw or partially thaw (frozen food).
verb (used without object)
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to become free of ice or frost.
The refrigerator defrosted quickly.
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to thaw, as frozen food.
The meat took two hours to defrost.
verb
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to make or become free of frost or ice
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to thaw, esp through removal from a refrigerator
Etymology
Origin of defrost
Explanation
To defrost something is to thaw it, or bring it from a state of being frozen to room temperature. You can defrost frozen shrimp by running them under cool water for several minutes. You have to defrost frozen food before you can eat it, and often before you can properly cook it. You might also need to defrost your icy windshield in the winter before you can drive your car. The word defrost comes from the Old English forst — before the 15th century, the words forst and frost were used interchangeably. When it's combined with de-, "off, away, or undo," it means "free of ice or frost."
Vocabulary lists containing defrost
Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Prefixes: de-
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Spelling Practice 1, Unit 5
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Staff at Network Rail will also be equipped with specialist kits to defrost frozen points and signals to keep the railway running safely.
From BBC • Nov. 18, 2024
Just make sure to defrost your lobster in the fridge overnight before coating it in mayo or slathering it in hot, melted butter.
From Salon • Sep. 1, 2024
Transport officials have deployed thousands of employees to shovel snow and defrost railways and roads.
From New York Times • Feb. 5, 2024
The worst part of cooking your Thanksgiving turkey is waiting for it to defrost.
From Slate • Nov. 20, 2023
They will never breathe the air of a damp New England morning, see smoke rising from a neighbor’s chimney, shiver in a car waiting for the glass to defrost and the engine to warm.
From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
