Freeze , v. t.

1.To congeal; to harden into ice; to convert from a fluid to a solid form by cold, or abstraction of heat.

2. To cause loss of animation or life in, from lack of heat; to give the sensation of cold to; to chill.

A faint, cold fear runs through my veins, That almost freezes up the heat of life. Shak.

Freeze , n. The act of congealing, or the state of being congealed. [Colloq.]

Freeze ", v. t. -- To freeze out, to drive out or exclude by cold or by cold treatment; to force to withdraw; as, to be frozen out of ones room in winter; to freeze out a competitor. [Colloq.]"

A railroad which had a London connection must not be allowed to freeze out one that had no such connection. A. T. Hadley.

It is sometimes a long time before a player who is frozen out can get into a game again. R. F. Foster.

Freeze (?), n. (Arch.) A frieze. [Obs.]

Freeze , v. i. [imp.Froze (?); p. p. Frozen (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Freezing.] [OE. fresen, freosen, AS. freósan; akin to D. vriezen, OHG. iosan, G. frieren, Icel. frjsa, Sw. frysa, Dan. fryse, Goth. frius cold, frost, and prob. to L. prurire to itch, E. prurient, cf. L. prna a burning coal, pruina hoarfrost, Skr. prushvā ice, prush to spirt. ? 18. Cf. Frost.]

1. To become congealed by cold; to be changed from a liquid to a solid state by the abstraction of heat; to be hardened into ice or a like solid body.

"☞ Water freezes at 32° above zero by Fahrenheits thermometer; mercury freezes at 40° below zero."

2. To become chilled with cold, or as with cold; to suffer loss of animation or life by lack of heat; as, the blood freezes in the veins.

To freeze up (Fig.), to become formal and cold in demeanor. [Colloq.]

-- Webster's unabridged 1913