Meanings
plural thickenings
- countableuncountableA thickened part of a structure.
[…] the inner layer (of nearly equally large cells) lacks the regular semiannular or annular thickenings of most other leafy liverworts […]
1992, Rudolf M[athias] Schuster, The Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of North America: East of the Hundredth Meridian, volume V, Chicago, Ill.: Field Museum of Natural History, →ISBN, page 61 more example
They disappear at once on slightly relaxing the air-pressure, whilst true incipient thickenings of the surface remain white and unpliably stiff.
1902, Edwin Hurry Fenwick, Obscure Diseases of the Urethra, page 30
- gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of thicken
- not comparableBeginning to thicken, becoming thicker.
From Keighley onwards we had obviously returned to civilisation, for the surrounding country was now studded with the sodium street lights of suburbia and a thickening industrial haze was blotting out the moon.
1960 January, G. Freeman Allen, “"Condor"—British Railways' fastest freight train”, in Trains Illustrated, page 48
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveaccumulating and becoming more intense
adjectivebecoming more intricate or complex
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Translations
Bulgarian сгъстяване, сгъстител
- сгъстяване (sgăstjavane)the process of making something, or becoming, thick or viscous
- сгъстител (sgăstitel)a substance, usually a source of starch, used to thicken a sauce
Finnish sakeutus, suuruste
- sakeutusthe process of making something, or becoming, thick or viscous
- suurustea substance, usually a source of starch, used to thicken a sauce
- sakeutea substance, usually a source of starch, used to thicken a sauce
French épaississement, épaississant
- épaississementthe process of making something, or becoming, thick or viscous
- épaississanta substance, usually a source of starch, used to thicken a sauce
German Dickwerden, Verdickungsmittel
- Dickwerdenthe process of making something, or becoming, thick or viscous
- Verdickungsmittela substance, usually a source of starch, used to thicken a sauce
Hungarian sűrűsödés, besűrűsödés
- sűrűsödésthe process of making something, or becoming, thick or viscous
- besűrűsödésthe process of making something, or becoming, thick or viscous
- sűrítésthe process of making something, or becoming, thick or viscous
- besűrítésthe process of making something, or becoming, thick or viscous
- sűrítőanyaga substance, usually a source of starch, used to thicken a sauce
- dúsítóanyaga substance, usually a source of starch, used to thicken a sauce
Italian ispessimento, addensante
- ispessimentothe process of making something, or becoming, thick or viscous
- addensantea substance, usually a source of starch, used to thicken a sauce
Portuguese espessamento, espessante
- espessamentothe process of making something, or becoming, thick or viscous
- espessantea substance, usually a source of starch, used to thicken a sauce
Russian сгуще́ние
- сгуще́ние (sguščénije)the process of making something, or becoming, thick or viscous
Spanish espesamiento, espesante
- espesamientothe process of making something, or becoming, thick or viscous
- espesantea substance, usually a source of starch, used to thicken a sauce
Swedish redning, redning
- redningthe process of making something, or becoming, thick or viscous
- redninga substance, usually a source of starch, used to thicken a sauce
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
thickening. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/thickening
“thickening.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/thickening. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “thickening,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/thickening.
Source: thickening on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.