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thicken. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
thicken, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
thicken in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
thicken you have here. The definition of the word
thicken will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
thicken, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Etymology
From Middle English thickenen, thikkenen, perhaps from Old Norse þykkna (“to thicken”); equivalent to thick + -en. Cognate with Swedish tjockna (“to thicken”), Icelandic þykkna (“to thicken”).
Pronunciation
Verb
thicken (third-person singular simple present thickens, present participle thickening, simple past and past participle thickened)
- (transitive) To make thicker (in the sense of wider).
- (transitive) To make thicker (in the sense of more viscous).
to thicken a sauce
- (intransitive) To become thicker (in the sense of wider).
2013 July-August, Stephen P. Lownie, David M. Pelz, “Stents to Prevent Stroke”, in American Scientist:As we age, the major arteries of our bodies frequently become thickened with plaque, a fatty material with an oatmeal-like consistency that builds up along the inner lining of blood vessels. The reason plaque forms isn’t entirely known, but it seems to be related to high levels of cholesterol inducing an inflammatory response, which can also attract and trap more cellular debris over time.
- (intransitive) To become thicker (in the sense of more viscous).
- (transitive) To strengthen; to confirm.
c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :And this may helpe to thicken other proofes,/ That do demonstrate thinly.
- (transitive) To make more frequent.
to thicken blows
Synonyms
Related terms
Translations
(transitive) to make wider
(transitive) to make more viscous
- Arabic: عَقَّدَ (ar) (ʕaqqada)
- Bulgarian: сгъстяван (bg) (sgǎstjavan)
- Catalan: espessir (ca)
- Finnish: paksuntaa (fi), sakeuttaa (fi)
- French: épaissir (fr), lier (fr)
- Galician: espesar, entestar
- Hungarian: sűrít (hu), besűrít (hu), (by roux or other thickening) habar (hu), behabar (hu)
- Ido: densigar (io), denseskar (io)
- Latvian: biezināt
- Occitan: espessir
- Polish: zagęszczać (pl) impf, zagęścić (pl) pf
- Russian: сгуща́ть (ru) impf (sguščátʹ), сгусти́ть (ru) pf (sgustítʹ)
- Spanish: espesar (es)
- Ukrainian: густи́ти impf (hustýty), згу́щувати impf (zhúščuvaty), згуща́ти impf (zhuščáty), згусти́ти pf (zhustýty)
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(intransitive) to become wider
(intransitive) to become more viscous
Translations to be checked
Anagrams