[freeze] vb froze ; fro.zen ; freez.ing [ME fresen, fr. OE freosan; akin to OHG friosan to freeze, L pruina hoarfrost, OE frost frost] vi (bef. 12c) 1 a: to become congealed into ice by cold b: to solidify as a result of abstraction of heat c: to withstand freezing "the bread ~s well"
2: to become chilled with cold "almost froze to death"
3: to adhere solidly by or as if by freezing "pressure caused the metals to ~"
4: to become fixed or motionless; esp: to become incapable of acting or speaking
5: to become clogged with ice "the water pipes froze" ~ vt 1 a: to harden into ice b: to convert from a liquid to a solid by cold
2: to make extremely cold: chill 3 a: to act on usu. destructively by frost b: to anesthetize by cold
4: to cause to grip tightly or remain in immovable contact
5. a: to cause to become fixed, immovable, unavailable, or unalterable "~ interest rates" b: to immobilize by governmental regulation the expenditure, withdrawal, or exchange of "~ foreign assets" c: to render motionless "a fake froze the defender"
6: to attempt to retain continuous possession of (a ball or puck) without an attempt to score usu. in order to protect a small lead -- freez.ing.ly adv
[2]freeze n (15c) 1 a: an act or instance of freezing b: the state of being frozen
2: a state of weather marked by low temperature esp. when below the freezing point
3: a halt in the production, testing, and deployment of military weapons "a nuclear ~"