Thicken
/ˈθɪk.ən/noun
To make or become thick, dense, or less fluid.
Did you know?Thicken comes from Old English þiccian, built from the same ancient root as thick, and its history is about physical density rather than any mystical meaning—though the image of matter closing in has always felt almost spell-like.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*tekgʰ-
“to become dense, to be thick”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*þukkjaną
“to make thick, thicken”
Old English
English
þiccian
“to make thick; to increase in density”
Middle English
English
thikken
“to make or become thick”
Modern English
English
thicken
“to make or become thick or denser”