Overchilling

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Cooling food, drink, or another item to a temperature lower than is desirable or necessary for its best quality
2. Making something colder than it should be, so that its flavor, texture, or usefulness is spoiled
3. Chilling a thing beyond the point needed, which can ruin its taste, texture, or intended condition

Etymology: "Overchilling" is the present participle and gerund of "overchill", a verb built from the prefix "over-" and the verb "chill". The prefix means "excessively" or "too much," so the verb means to chill something beyond what is wanted, such as leaving food in a freezer until it becomes too cold or cooling a drink until its flavour is lost. "Chill" is an old word for cold and for the act of making something cold, and "over-" has been attached to English verbs for centuries to signal excess, as in "overcook", "overwork" and "overheat". "Overchill" follows that same pattern, so its meaning can be worked out from its two parts. The "-ing" ending simply turns the verb into a participle or gerund, which is why it is used in phrases like "risk of overchilling" or "overchilling wine ruins its taste."

Synonyms: overcooling, supercooling

Antonyms: warming