thicken
/ˈθɪkən/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.71 in modern English
16
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
Example Sentences
- "to thicken a sauce"
- "As we age, the major arteries of our bodies frequently become thickened with plaque, a fatty material with an oatmeal-like consistency that builds up along the inner lining of blood vessels. The reason plaque forms isn’t entirely known, but it seems to be related to high levels of cholesterol inducing an inflammatory response, which can also attract and trap more cellular debris over time."
- "And this may helpe to thicken other proofes,/ That do demonstrate thinly."
- "to thicken blows"
Etymology
From Middle English thickenen, thikkenen, perhaps from Old Norse þykkna (“to thicken”); equivalent to thick + -en. Cognate with Swedish tjockna (“to thicken”), Icelandic þykkna (“to thicken”).
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈθɪkən/