/fri:z; friz/
v (pt froze / frEUz; froz/, pp frozen / 5frEUzn; `frozn/)
1 [I, Tn] (esp of water) change or be changed from liquid to solid by extreme cold （尤指水）结冰; 凝固
*Water freezes at 0C. 水在0C时结冰.
* The severe cold froze the pond. 天气寒冷池塘结了冰. Cf 参看 thaw. =>Usage at water1 用法见water1.
2 [I, Ip, Tn, Tn.p] ~ (sth) (up) (cause sth to) become full of ice or hardened with ice （使某物）结满冰或由于结冰变硬
*The land itself freezes (up) in such low temperatures. 温度这么低, 地都冻硬了.
* Our (water) pipes froze (up) (ie were blocked with ice) last winter. 去年冬天, 我们的（水）管子冻了.
* The clothes were frozen on the washing-line. 衣服在晾衣绳上冻住了.
3 [I] (used with it 与it连用) (of weather) be so cold that water turns to ice; be extremely cold （指天气）冷得使水结成冰, 严寒
*It's freezing outside! 外面冷极了!
* It may freeze tonight, so make sure the plants are covered. 今晚大概会有霜冻, 一定要把花草都遮盖好.
4 [I, Tn only passive 只用于被动语态] (cause a person or an animal to) be or feel very cold; (cause to) die from cold （使人或动物）冷或觉得很冷; （使）冻死
*Shut the window I'm freezing! 关上窗户--我冷极了!
* Two men froze to death/were frozen to death on the mountain. 有两个人在山上冻死了.
5 [I, Tn] (of food, etc) be able to be preserved by being stored at a temperature below freezing-point; preserve (food, etc), in this way （指食物等）能冷冻储藏; 冷藏（食物等）
*Some fruits don't freeze well at all. 有些水果根本就不能冷藏.
* I'll buy extra meat and just freeze it. 我要多买些肉冷藏起来.
* Strawberries don't taste nice if they've been frozen. 草莓若冷冻就不好吃了.
* a packet of frozen peas 一包冷藏豌豆.
6 [I, Tn] (cause a person or an animal to) stop suddenly; make or become unable to move, speak, or act, because of fear, shock, etc （使人或动物）突然停住; （因恐惧、震惊等）使得或变得不能活动、说话或行动; 惊呆; 吓呆
*Ann froze with terror as the door opened silently. 门一声不响地开了, 把安吓呆了.
* The sudden bang froze us in our tracks. 突然砰的一响, 顿时把我们惊呆了.
7 [Tn] hold (wages, prices, etc) at a fixed level officially for a period of time 稳定（工资、物价等）
*freeze wages, prices, fares, etc 稳定工资、物价、车费等.
8 [Tn] not allow (money or assets) to be used or exchanged, usu by government order 冻结（钱或资产）
*freeze a society's funds 冻结一团体的基金
* frozen assets 被冻结的资产.
9 (idm 习语) freeze one's blood/make one's blood freeze fill one with feelings of fear and horror 使充满害怕、恐怖的感觉
*The sight of the masked gunman made my blood freeze. 我一看见那个持枪的蒙面人就吓得浑身冰凉.
10 (phr v) freeze sb out (infml 口) exclude sb from business or from society by harsh competition or unfriendly behaviour （以残酷的竞争或敌意的态度）将某人（从生意或团体中）逼走, 挤走
*Small shops are being frozen out by the big supermarkets. 小　子都要让大超级市场给挤垮了. freeze (sth) over (usu passive 通常用于被动语态) (cause sth to) become covered by ice （使某物）被冰封住
*The lake was frozen over until late spring. 那湖全让冰封住了, 到晚春才解冻. freeze (sth) up (usu passive 通常用于被动语态) freeze (sth) so as to prevent normal use 冻住（某物）（以至妨碍正常使用）
*The window has frozen up and I can't open it. 窗户给冻上了, 我打不开.

n
1 (also `freeze-up) period of weather during which temperatures are below freezing-point 冰冻期; 严寒期
*last year's big freeze 去年的严寒期
* After the last freeze-up we put insulation round the pipes. 我们在上个冰冻期之後把管道用保温材料裹上了.
2 official fixing of wages, prices, etc for a period of time （官方对工资、物价等的）冻结
*a wage/price freeze 工资[物价]冻结.