Deice

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To remove ice from a surface, such as a windshield or runway
2. The process of melting or clearing ice accumulation to enable functionality
3. The act of treating surfaces to restore them by eliminating frozen water buildup

Etymology: "Deice" is a plain compound: the prefix "de-", taken from Latin "dē" meaning "down" or "away from," joined to the ordinary English noun "ice." The prefix came into English through Latin and French, where it commonly marks removal or reversal, as in "defrost" or "decaffeinate," and attaching it to "ice" produces the sense of stripping ice away. The ice half has a much longer pedigree. It descends from Proto-Germanic "īsą," passed through Old English "īs" and Middle English "is," and has been part of the language for well over a thousand years. The prefix is the newcomer by comparison, so the word is an old noun given a Latinate handle to describe a modern job.

Synonyms: defrost, thaw

Antonyms: freeze, ice