- something added to a liquid to thicken it
- a thickened part or piece
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
thick•en•ing
(thik′ə ning),USA pronunciation n.
- a making or becoming thick.
- a thickened part or area;
swelling. - something used to thicken;
thickener.
- thicken + -ing1 1570–80
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
thickening /ˈθɪkənɪŋ/ n
thick•en /ˈθɪkən/USA pronunciation
v.
thick•en•ing, n. [uncountable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- to (cause to) become thick or thicker: [no object]When the soup thickens, shut off the heat.[~ + object]Thicken the soup by adding flour to it.
- to become more complicated or confusing:[no object]The plot thickens now.
thick•en•ing, n. [uncountable]
thick•en
(thik′ən),USA pronunciation v.t., v.i.
- to make or become thick or thicker.
- to make or grow more intense, profound, intricate, or complex:The plot thickens.
- Old Norse thykkna. See thick, -en1
- late Middle English thiknen 1375–1425
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
thicken /ˈθɪkən/ vb
- to make or become thick or thicker: thicken the soup by adding flour
- (intransitive) to become more involved: the plot thickened
'thickening' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
agar
- arteriosclerosis
- atherosclerosis
- corn
- cornflour
- cornstarch
- Crohn's disease
- dextrin
- gravy
- liaison
- mascara
- oestrous cycle
- panada
- sago
- scleroderma
- sclerosis
- tapioca
- alginic acid
- bulb
- butterpaste
- cauliflower ear
- contract
- dish gravy
- estradiol
- evaporator
- guar
- hyperkeratosis
- karaya gum
- laminaria
- liver
- myxedema
- pannus
- pectin
- placode
- polyacrylamide
- torus
- trigger finger
- tuber
- simian shelf