defrost

verb

de·​frost di-ˈfrȯst 

ˈdē-ˌfrȯst

defrosted; defrosting; defrosts

transitive verb

1

: to release from a frozen state

defrost meat

2

a

: to free from ice

defrost a refrigerator/freezer

b

: to clear (a window or windshield) with a vehicle's defroster

defrost a windshield to clear it of ice and condensation

intransitive verb

: to thaw out especially from a deep-frozen state

Examples of defrost in a Sentence

You can defrost the soup in the microwave.

Has the refrigerator defrosted yet?

Recent Examples on the Web

Santa was frozen into a block of ice in lake under a mountain by the Sami people thousands of years ago and is now defrosting in a warehouse with all the radiators in a Finnish village to warm him and sacks of crying children at his feet. —Katie Rife, Vulture, 16 Nov. 2024

Deli meat is vulnerable to bacteria growth once defrosted. —Caroline C. Boyle, USA TODAY, 1 Nov. 2024

Once defrosted, then unwrap it (rather than removing it from its wrapper to thaw). —Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Oct. 2024

To the driver's horror, the officers pulled a pair of defrosting animals out of the bus and demanded to see paperwork for them. —Erik Vance, Scientific American, 1 Aug. 2017

Word History

First Known Use

1895, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Kids Definition

defrost

verb

de·​frost di-ˈfrȯst 

ˈdē-

1

: to free from a frozen state : thaw out

defrost meat

2

: to free from ice

defrost a refrigerator

3

: to remove fog or condensed moisture from

defrost the windshield