Word family noun thick thickness thickener thickening thicko adjective thick verb thicken adverb thickly
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishldoce_334_ethickthick1 /θɪk/ ●●● S2 W2 adjective (comparative thicker, superlative thickest) 1 not thinTHICK OBJECT OR MATERIALif something is thick, there is a large distance or a larger distance than usual between its two opposite surfaces or sides OPP thin a thick oak door a thick slice of homemade bread He was wearing thick glasses. short thick fingers thick wool socks (=socks that are heavy and warm) If you want a thicker blanket, there are more here in the closet. The meat is done when the thickest part turns from pink to white.thick with The furniture was thick with dust (=there was thick dust on the furniture).2 measurement measuring a particular distance between two opposite sides or surfaces of something3 feet/1 cm/two inches etc thick The walls are about two meters thick. How thick should the glass in the tank be? This layer of brain tissue is no thicker than 2 mm.3 trees/bushes etcHBP growing very close together or having a lot of leaves SYN dense birds hiding in the thick undergrowththick with The walls were thick with ivy.4 smoke/cloud etcTHICK OBJECT OR MATERIAL filling the air, and difficult to see through or breathe in SYN dense thick fogthick with The air was thick with cigarette smoke.5 liquidTHICK LIQUID almost solid, and therefore flowing very slowly, or not flowing at all For a thicker gravy, add more flour. The paint is too thick. 6 hair/fur having a lot of hair or fur She ran her fingers through her thick brown hair.7 stupid British English informalSTUPID/NOT INTELLIGENT a thick person is stupid He’s a nice guy, but he’s a bit thick.(as) thick as two short planks (=very stupid)8 voice a) SPEAK A LANGUAGEif someone has a thick accent, the way they speak shows clearly which particular place or part of a country they come froma thick German/Yorkshire etc accent Olga speaks English with a thick Russian accent. b) LOW SOUND OR VOICEif someone’s voice is thick, it is not as clear or high as usual, for example because they are upset Bill’s voice was thick and gruff.thick with Her voice was thick with emotion.9 large amountLOT/LARGE NUMBER OR AMOUNT especially written containing a lot of people or things The cod were so thick in the water that they caught thousands very quickly.thick with The roads were thick with holiday traffic.10 → be thick on the ground11 → have a thick skin12 → be (as) thick as thieves13 → give somebody a thick ear/get a thick ear14 → be thick with somebody15 → (it’s) a bit thickExamples from the Corpus
thick• If you want to make the sauce thicker, add flour.• Bill's voice was thick and gruff.• The tensions aboard the boat are as thick and ominous as thunderstorm clouds gathering over the ocean.• Some of the students they let in these days are as thick as two short planks.• You have such thick, beautiful hair.• a thick blanket of fog• In the hills, all the houses are surrounded by thick brush.• Not wishing to appear thick, but what exactly are you doing?• Thick clouds of black smoke went up from the oil fires.• Thicker curtains will give you more privacy.• Is this gravy thick enough?• a thick forest• The mortar joints between bricks were thick, generally about the same as the bricks themselves.• Stark clasped his thick hands behind his head.• He's a nice boy, but he's a bit thick, isn't he?• a thick layer of frosting• The ground was covered in a thick layer of snow.• She landed flat on her face in thick mud.• shoes with thick rubber soles• The running lights flashed off and a thick silence filled up the day.• a thick slice of bread• I prod it with a fork and brown it on the fire before introducing it to the thick slice of toast.• thick spaghetti sauce• It's an old house with very thick stone walls.• The ceiling was low and there was a thick, suffocating feel to the air and a stale, old stench.• thick vegetable soup• The thick walls insulate against the winter cold.thick with dust• The air is thick with dust, accumulated over years of not-remembering, years of not wanting to know.• The room was festooned with cobwebs, the air musty and thick with dust and disuse.• Erratic hot winds kept the air thick with dust, and the fan gave small comfort to the feverish, aching children.• They were thick with dust, Anna said, but they too would never be removed.thick with ... smoke• Even the sunlight was blocked out by layers of muslin, and the air was thick with perfumed smoke.• I sit watching Victor's television through stale air thick with tobacco smoke.• The air in the room grew thick with tobacco smoke.• The air was thick with cigarette smoke.• The room was thick with stale cigarette smoke and strong sunlight pierced through every gap in the curtained windows.thickthick2 adverb 1 THICK LIQUIDthickly. Many teachers think this is not correct English peanut butter spread thick2 → thick and fast → lay it on (a bit thick) at layExamples from the Corpus
thick• Slice the cheese a little thicker.thickthick3 noun 1 → in the thick of something2 → through thick and thinExamples from the Corpus
thick• The thickness of the old walls helped keep the rooms warm in winter and cool in summer.• But it is enough to keep her in the thick of the race.Origin thick1 Old English thicce 