Befreeze

/bɪˈfriːz/ verb

Definition

To freeze over or cover with ice; to make or become frozen solid.

Etymology

From 'be-' prefix plus 'freeze' (from Old English 'freosan', from Proto-Germanic 'freusan'). The prefix suggests a thorough freezing process affecting an entire surface or substance.

Kelly Says

Archaic poets and nature writers used 'befreeze' to describe lakes and ponds in winter—instead of just 'the pond froze,' they could say 'the pond was befrozen,' emphasizing the complete, icy transformation of a landscape.

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