melt
(verb)
past tense: melted
LISTEN
Melt means ‘to cause to become liquid by heat.’
- Put the ice cream in the freezer so it doesn't melt.
- The warm weather melted the snow.
- The butter melted on the toast.
Melt also means ‘to cause to become less or nothing.’
- When Doreen went on a diet, the pounds just melted away.
- The cost of the medicine melted away the family's savings.
Melt can also mean ‘to become softened in feeling.’
- Josh's heart melted when Julia came into the room.
Common uses
tuna melt: an open-face sandwich (one piece of bread) made of tuna salad with melted cheese on top. Example: “I’d like a tuna melt and a cup of tomato soup, please.”
Related words
Literally, a meltdown is the melting of the core of a nuclear reactor. Example: “It is important to have enough coolant for the nuclear reactor to avoid a meltdown.” But a meltdown can also be a sudden breakdown, a loss of mental or physical health. Example: “The two-year-old missed his nap and had a meltdown at 4:00PM.”
In pop culture
Listen to Chet Faker sing “Melt.” Does his voice make you melt?
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