French word

geler

Pronunciation

IPA/ʒəle/

Meaning

  • verbfreeze

Example

L'eau gèle en hiver.

Water freezes in winter.

Illustration for geler (freeze)

More examples

Le lac gèle à zéro degré.

The lake freezes at zero degrees.

Core concept

Water turns from flowing liquid into a hard, cold surface of ice, while movement or activity can also suddenly become fixed.

Common phrases

  • geler à zéro degré

    freeze at zero degrees

  • geler sur place

    freeze on the spot

Similar words

congeler: To freeze food so it can be preserved for a long time.
givrer: To become covered with frost or a thin layer of ice.
glacer: To cool a liquid or surface enough to form a layer of ice.
figer: To suddenly harden a liquid or object and stop it from moving.

Definition in French

Devenir solide à cause du froid, en particulier quand un liquide se transforme en glace; peut aussi s'employer au sens figuré pour exprimer le fait de se figer.

Word origin

French geler comes from Latin gelare, derived from gelu meaning frost or cold, and retains the basic sense of becoming solid through cold.

Usage tips

  • English gel usually means thicken or set rather than freeze, so geler generally translates as freeze in physical contexts.

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word