- 1 [intransitive, transitive] to become or make something become liquid as a result of heating The snow showed no sign of melting. melting ice melt something The sun had melted the snow. First, melt two ounces of butter. CollocationsCookingPreparing prepare a dish/a meal/a menu/dinner/the fish weigh out 100g/4oz of sugar/the ingredients wash/rinse the lettuce/spinach/watercress chop/slice/dice the carrots/onions/potatoes peel the carrots/onion/potatoes/garlic/orange grate a carrot/the cheese/some nutmeg remove/discard the bones/seeds/skin blend/combine/mix (together) the flour and water/all the ingredients beat/whisk the cream/eggs/egg whites knead/shape/roll (out) the doughCooking heat the oil in a frying pan preheat/heat the oven/(British English) the grill/(North American English) the broiler bring to (British English) the boil/(North American English) a boil stir constantly/gently with a wooden spoon reduce the heat simmer gently for 20 minutes/until reduced by half melt the butter/chocolate/cheese/sugar brown the meat for 8–20 minutes drain the pasta/the water from the pot/in a colander mash the potatoes/banana/avocadoWays of cooking cook food/fish/meat/rice/pasta/a Persian dish bake (a loaf of) bread/a cake/(especially North American English) cookies/(British English) biscuits/a pie/potatoes/fish/scones/muffins boil cabbage/potatoes/an egg/water fry/deep-fry/stir-fry the chicken/vegetables grill meat/steak/chicken/sausages/a hot dog roast potatoes/peppers/meat/chicken/lamb sauté garlic/mushrooms/onions/potatoes/vegetables steam rice/vegetables/spinach/asparagus/dumplings toast bread/nuts microwave food/popcorn/(British English) a ready mealServing serve in a glass/on a bed of rice/with potatoes arrange the slices on a plate/in a layer carve the meat/lamb/chicken/turkey dress/toss a salad dress with/drizzle with olive oil/vinaigrette top with a slice of lemon/a scoop of ice cream/whipped cream/syrup garnish with a sprig of parsley/fresh basil leaves/lemon wedges/a slice of lime/a twist of orange sprinkle with salt/sugar/herbs/parsley/freshly ground black pepper compare defrost, de-ice See related entries: Snow and ice
- 2[intransitive, transitive] to become or to make a feeling, an emotion, etc. become gentler and less strong The tension in the room began to melt. melt something Her trusting smile melted his heart. Word OriginOld English meltan, mieltan, of Germanic origin; related to Old Norse melta ‘to malt, digest’, from an Indo-European root shared by Greek meldein ‘to melt’, Latin mollis ‘soft’, also by malt.Extra examples The crowd had melted away. The ground seemed to melt under our feet. The snow was beginning to melt. All her anger and hurt melted away in his embrace. At the first sign of trouble, his supporters melted away. Before the boy’s incredulous gaze the figure melted into thin air. The melting ice caps could provoke widespread flooding. The sun had melted the ice.Idioms
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BrE BrE//melt//; NAmE NAmE//melt//
Verb Forms present simple I / you / we / they melt BrE BrE//melt//; NAmE NAmE//melt//
he / she / it melts BrE BrE//melts//; NAmE NAmE//melts//
past simple melted BrE BrE//ˈmeltɪd//; NAmE NAmE//ˈmeltɪd//
past participle melted BrE BrE//ˈmeltɪd//; NAmE NAmE//ˈmeltɪd//
-ing form melting BrE BrE//ˈmeltɪŋ//; NAmE NAmE//ˈmeltɪŋ//
Snow and ice(informal) used to say that somebody seems to be innocent, kind, etc. when they are not really
(of food) to be soft and very good to eat They serve steaks that just melt in your mouth. Phrasal Verbsmelt awaymelt downmelt into
Check pronunciation: melt
