Thawing
/ˈθɔː.ɪŋ/noun
The process of becoming unfrozen or of warming up after being frozen.
Did you know?English *thaw* comes from Old English *þawian*, which meant to melt or become liquid, and it likely goes back to a very old Germanic root tied to flowing and liquefying — a reminder that even ordinary words can carry the language of transformation.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dheu̯-
“to flow, run, or be moist”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*þawōną
“to thaw, melt”
Old English
OE
þāwian
“to thaw, melt, become liquid”
Middle English
ME
thawen
“to melt, become unfrozen”
Modern English
English
thawing
“becoming unfrozen or warming after frost”