freezing-point
|freez-ing-point|
/ˈfriːzɪŋ pɔɪnt/
temperature where liquid turns to solid
Etymology
'freezing-point' originates from Modern English as a compound of 'freezing' and 'point'. 'freezing' derives from Old English 'frēosan' (via Middle English forms) where the root meant 'to become hard or icy'; 'point' originates from Old French 'point', from Latin 'punctum', where 'pungere' meant 'to prick'.
'freeze' changed from Old English 'frēosan' to Middle English forms (e.g. 'frozen') and eventually to modern English 'freeze'; 'point' came from Latin 'punctum' into Old French 'point' and then into Middle English as 'point'. The compound 'freezing-point' developed in Modern English to name the temperature at which freezing occurs.
Initially, the elements referred separately to 'becoming hard/icy' and 'a small sharp spot or moment'; over time the combined term came to mean specifically 'the temperature at which a liquid becomes solid'. The core scientific meaning has remained stable since its formation.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the temperature at which a liquid turns into a solid (for pure substances, often the same as the melting point).
The freezing-point of water is 0 °C.
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Noun 2
a figurative critical or turning point at which a situation changes markedly or becomes extreme.
Tensions between the groups reached a freezing-point last week.
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Last updated: 2025/10/29 13:29