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thaw

Noun
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A period when ice or snow melts because the weather becomes warmer.

Detailed Definition
A thaw is the warming that melts snow or ice. Here it appears in the image of snow disappearing, which matches the poem’s theme of passing away.
Example
Example in poetry:
“Like snaw when it’s thaw, John” treats thaw as the warming period when snow melts; “At thaw, the river broke its glassy sleep” personifies seasonal change; “The first thaw loosened mud from the field roads” gives a literal rural image; “Her smile was a thaw after months of guarded weather” turns melting into emotional release.
Additional Notes
Although familiar in context, "thaw" in this line may need identification for readers because it is part of a Scots simile and the poem uses it in a figurative way.; Found in the poem, The Land o' the Leal by Lady Nairne
Also Known As
melt dissolve thawing soften Spring Thaw
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