thicken

Everyday

1. To thicken is to become thicker, or to make something thicker. tree →
2. A liquid that thickens becomes less runny, like sauce or custard. tree →
3. Fog, smoke or a crowd that thickens becomes denser. tree →
4. «The plot thickens» means a story or situation becomes more mysterious and complicated. tree →

In the lessons

In cooking and science lessons on materials: heating custard or adding flour thickens it. In geography, fog thickens. In stories, «the plot thickens» signals a new twist. In maths a line or a layer may thicken by a measured amount.

Examples

• Stir the sauce until it thickens. tree →
• Add flour to thicken the soup. tree →
• The fog thickened and we could not see the road. tree →
• The crowd thickened near the stage. tree →
• The ice on the pond thickened during the cold night. tree →
• Then the missing key turned up in Ben's bag — the plot thickens! tree →
• Trees thicken their trunks a little every year. tree →

Note

Opposite: thin (out). Noun: thickness; adjective: thick. In cooking, a thickener is something added (flour, cornflour) to make a liquid thicker.