dethaw

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The word "dethaw" is often used in informal contexts, but it can be a bit confusing because it combines the prefix "de-" (which usually means to remove or reverse) with "thaw."

Meaning:

• Dethaw means to take something that is frozen and make it soft or liquid again. It is essentially the same as "thaw," which means to allow something to warm up and become less solid.

Usage Instructions:

• You use "dethaw" when you want to describe the action of warming up frozen food or ice until it is no longer solid. However, it's more common to simply use "thaw" instead of "dethaw."

Example:

• "I need to dethaw the meat before I can cook it." (It is better to say: "I need to thaw the meat before I can cook it.")

Advanced Usage:

• While "dethaw" can be understood, it is not widely accepted in formal writing or speech. It’s better to use "thaw" in most situations.
• For example, in a cooking context, you might say, "I will let the chicken thaw in the refrigerator overnight."

Word Variants:

• Thaw (verb): To make or become liquid or soft by warming.
• Thawing (noun): The process of becoming less frozen.
• Thawed (adjective): Something that has been made soft or liquid from being frozen.

Different Meanings:

• Thaw can also refer to a period of warmer weather that causes ice and snow to melt.
• "Dethaw" itself can sometimes be mistakenly used to mean "to freeze" (as in to remove the thaw), but this is incorrect.

Synonyms:

• Thaw
• Melt
• Unfreeze

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

• There are no specific idioms or phrasal verbs that include "dethaw," but here are some related phrases:
  • "Let it sit at room temperature": This phrase can be used instead of "dethaw" to describe allowing frozen food to warm up without using heat.
  • "Bring to room temperature": This is another way to say that you want to make something that was cold or frozen warmer and ready to use.

Summary:

In summary, "dethaw" is an informal way to say "thaw," which means to make something that is frozen become soft or liquid again.

Academic

Verb

1. become or cause to become soft or liquid
   • The sun melted the ice
   • the ice thawed
   • the ice cream melted
   • The heat melted the wax
   • The giant iceberg dissolved over the years during the global warming phase
   • dethaw the meat

Synonyms

• dissolve
• thaw
• unfreeze
• unthaw
• melt