I. ˈthȯ verb
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English thawian; akin to Old High German douwen to thaw, Greek tēkein to melt, Latin tabēre to waste away
Date: before 12th century
transitive verb
: to cause to thaw
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to go from a frozen to a liquid state : melt
b. : to become free of the effect (as stiffness, numbness, or hardness) of cold as a result of exposure to warmth
2. : to be warm enough to melt ice and snow — used with it in reference to the weather
3. : to abandon aloofness, reserve, or hostility : unbend
4. : to become mobile, active, or susceptible to change
II. noun
Date: 15th century
1. : the action, fact, or process of thawing
2. : a period of weather warm enough to thaw ice
the January thaw
3. : the action or process of becoming less aloof, less hostile, or more genial
a thaw in international relations