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

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

Then when the occasion comes for a breakfast casserole, just defrost in the fridge overnight, and then reheat in the oven at 350°F until warmed through. —Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 28 Oct. 2024

The specialty dumplings can be steamed, boiled, fried, or heated in the microwave without defrosting for a quick carbonara bite. —Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner, Forbes, 27 Sep. 2024

After the animal’s discovery, scientists temporarily defrosted it before taking samples of the fur, skin and the hump for testing. —Issy Ronald, CNN, 25 Sep. 2024

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