changes from a solid into a liquid, usually when something gets hot, like ice cream in the sun.
From Old English meltan, related to Germanic languages. The word originally meant 'to digest' before shifting to describe the physical process of solids becoming liquid.
The melting point of ice (32°F or 0°C) was literally used to define temperature scales—scientists needed a reliable, repeatable melting to measure heat, so frozen water became the world's reference point.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.