freeze
UK: friːz | US: friːz
v. to become hardened into ice or solid from liquid due to cold
v. to preserve food by subjecting it to extreme cold
v. to become motionless or rigid (e.g., from fear or shock)
v. to fix (prices, wages, etc.) at a specific level
The word "freeze" originates from Old English frēosan, meaning "to turn to ice" or "become rigid from cold." It shares roots with Germanic languages (e.g., Old High German friosan) and Proto-Indo-European preus-, meaning "to freeze" or "burn with cold." The modern spelling retains the core morpheme freez-, while the silent -e marks it as a verb. Over time, its meaning expanded metaphorically to include immobility (e.g., "freeze in fear") and economic control (e.g., "wage freeze").
The lake will freeze overnight if temperatures drop below zero.
She decided to freeze the leftover soup for later use.
The rabbit froze when it spotted the fox nearby.
The government plans to freeze fuel prices for six months.
My computer screen froze during the update.