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

There were no sanitizer buckets in the kitchen and a container of ground beef was defrosting incorrectly, according to the report. —Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 6 Apr. 2025

Watch this video to learn how to quickly defrost frozen meat. —Cody Godwin, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2025

Simple controls denote how to reheat and defrost food. —Meg St-Esprit, Bon Appétit, 18 Mar. 2025

Tightly wrap pancakes, and freeze for up to three months, reheat in the microwave from frozen, or allow to defrost in the refrigerator. —Amanda Holstein, Southern Living, 18 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1895, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for defrost

• accost
• crisscrossed
• embossed
• exhaust
• recrossed
• uncrossed
• bossed
• cost
• crossed
• dost
• glossed
• lost

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