thicken

English

Etymology

From Middle English thickenen, thikkenen, equivalent to thick +‎ -en. Cognate with Swedish tjockna (“to thicken”), Icelandic þykkna (“to thicken”).

Pronunciation

(US) IPA^(key): /ˈθɪkən/
Audio (US) (file)
Rhymes: -ɪkən

Verb

thicken (third-person singular simple present thickens, present participle thickening, simple past and past participle thickened)

(transitive) To make thicker (in the sense of wider).
(transitive) To make thicker (in the sense of more viscous).
to thicken a sauce
(intransitive) To become thicker (in the sense of wider).
- 2013 July-August, Stephen P. Lownie, David M. Pelz, “Stents to Prevent Stroke”, in American Scientist:
  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.
(intransitive) To become thicker (in the sense of more viscous).
(transitive) To strengthen; to confirm.
- c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act III, scene iii]:
  This fell whore of thine, / Hath in her more deſtruction then thy Sword, / For all her Cherubin looke.
(transitive) To make more frequent.
to thicken blows

Synonyms

(make wider): broaden, enwiden; see also Thesaurus:widen
(make more viscous): condense, engross, inspissate; see also Thesaurus:thicken
(become wider): widen
(become more viscous): inspissate
(strengthen): build up, reinforce; see also Thesaurus:strengthen
(make more frequent):

Related terms

thickener
the plot thickens

Translations

(transitive) to make wider

Bulgarian: удебелявам (udebeljavam)
Catalan: espessir (ca)
Finnish: paksuntaa (fi)
French: épaissir (fr)
Hungarian: vastagít, megvastagít
Ido: dikigar (io)
Latin: lato (la)
Occitan: espessir
Polish: pogrubiać impf, pogrubić (pl) pf
Russian: утолща́ть (ru) impf (utolščátʹ), утолсти́ть (ru) pf (utolstítʹ)

(transitive) to make more viscous

Arabic: عَقَّدَ‎ (ar) (ʿaqqada)
Bulgarian: сгъстяван (bg) (sgǎstjavan)
Catalan: espessir (ca)
Finnish: paksuntaa (fi), sakeuttaa (fi)
French: épaissir (fr), lier (fr)
Galician: espesar, entestar
Hungarian: sűrít (hu), besűrít (hu), (by roux or other thickening) habar (hu), behabar (hu)
Ido: densigar (io), denseskar (io)
Latvian: biezināt
Occitan: espessir
Polish: zagęszczać (pl) impf, zagęścić (pl) pf
Russian: сгуща́ть (ru) impf (sguščátʹ), сгусти́ть (ru) pf (sgustítʹ)
Spanish: espesar (es)

(intransitive) to become wider

Bulgarian: удебелявам се (udebeljavam se)
Catalan: espessir (ca)
Finnish: paksuuntua (fi)
French: s'épaissir (fr), épaissir (fr)
Hungarian: vastagodik (hu), megvastagodik (hu), vastagszik, megvastagszik
Occitan: espessir
Polish: grubieć impf, zgrubieć pf
Russian: утолща́ться (ru) impf (utolščátʹsja), утолсти́ться (ru) pf (utolstítʹsja)

(intransitive) to become more viscous

Bulgarian: сгъстявам се (sgǎstjavam se)
Catalan: espessir (ca)
Czech: houstnout
Finnish: paksuuntua (fi), saeta (fi), sakeutua
French: s'épaissir (fr), se densifier (fr), épaissir (fr)
Galician: entestar, espesar
Hungarian: sűrűsödik (hu), besűrűsödik
Maori: ete (applies to cooking)
Occitan: espessir
Polish: gęstnieć impf, zgęstnieć pf
Russian: сгуща́ться (ru) impf (sguščátʹsja), сгусти́ться (ru) pf (sgustítʹsja)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

Norman: ^{(please verify)} affêtchi (Jersey)
Turkish: ^{(please verify)} yoğunlaşmak (tr), ^{(please verify)} yoğunlaştırmak (tr)

Anagrams

Chetnik, Kitchen, chetnik, ethnick, kitchen