freezes

Noun

freeze (plural freezes)

1. A period of intensely cold weather.
   • In order to work properly, the cotton stripper required that the plant be brown and brittle, as happened after a freeze, so that the cotton bolls could snap off easily.2009, Pietra Rivoli, The Travels of a T-shirt in the Global Economy, 2nd edition, page 38
2. A halt of a regular operation.
   • Without a freeze it might be possible to proceed with the production and deployment of such destabilizing systems as the MX, Trident II, cruise missiles and SS-18s, -19s and -20s.1982 October, William Epstein, “The freeze: a hot issue at the United Nations”, in Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
3. The state when either a single computer program, or the whole system ceases to respond to inputs.

   Synonyms:

   hang

4. A precise draw weight shot where a delivered stone comes to a stand-still against a stationary stone, making it nearly impossible to knock out.
   • The reason I said the guard wasn't the toughest shot in curling is because, in my book, that's a shot called the freeze. A stone thrown as a freeze comes perfectly to rest directly in front of another stone, without moving it (see Figure 10-5).2006, Bob Weeks, Curling for Dummies, page 143
5. A block on pay rises or on the hiring of new employees etc.
   • a hiring freeze; a pay freeze

See all 19 meanings of freeze