thicken

/ˈθɪkən/

/ˈθɪkɪn/

Other forms: thickened; thickening; thickens

To thicken is to become denser or to make something thicker. When you accidentally burn dinner, the smoke in the kitchen thickens. Time to get the fire extinguisher.

There are two ways to thicken: to become thick or to make thick. Cooks often use flour or cornstarch to thicken sauces. And when you add flour to your brownie batter, you thicken it. An earlier, now obsolete meaning was "to crowd together." The phrase "the plot thickens" means that a situation is becoming more and more complicated or interesting.

Definitions of thicken

1. verb

   make thick or thicker
   “Thicken the sauce”

   synonyms: inspissate

   inspissate

   become thick or thicker

   antonyms:

   thin

   make thin or thinner

   type of:

   alter, change, modify

   cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
2. verb

   make viscous or dense
   “thicken the sauce by adding flour”

   synonyms: inspissate

   type of:

   change integrity

   change in physical make-up
3. verb

   become thick or thicker
   “The sauce thickened”

   synonyms: inspissate

   inspissate

   make thick or thicker

   antonyms:

   thin

   lose thickness; become thin or thinner

   type of:

   change state, turn

   undergo a transformation or a change of position or action