Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A heating device designed to remove frost or prevent its formation.
  • noun A device designed to thaw frozen goods.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun A device that removes ice or frost (as from a windshield or a refrigerator or the wings of an airplane).

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A device for removing frost or ice from a surface or food by applying heat

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun heater that removes ice or frost (as from a windshield or a refrigerator or the wings of an airplane)

Etymologies

Sorry, no etymologies found.

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Examples

  • I have a newly re-engined 1978 Mustang that is about as basic as you can get; it has a rear-window defroster, which is constantly failing and twice shorted out and shattered the window.

    In a glitzy but filtered place. Ann Althouse 2006

  • If the windshield defroster were affected then poor visibility could cause a crash.

    Mitsubishi and Ford recall SUVs, affecting more than 19,000 vehicles combined 2010

  • Battery discharge would be hastened by the use of any or all of those things - heater, defroster, windshield wipers, headlamps, radio - needed for safety and peace of mind in foul winter weather.

    2011 Nissan Altima 2.5S sedan Warren Brown 2011

  • He started the car, turned on its defroster and wipers, then climbed out as it warmed.

    Miles to Go Richard Paul Evans 2011

  • He started the car, turned on its defroster and wipers, then climbed out as it warmed.

    Miles to Go Richard Paul Evans 2011

  • The vapor, now ice, longs for a chance to melt as you turn on your defroster, and, for a time, be water.

    Sublimation Lynn Beighley 2011

  • He fumbled on the dashboard to find a defroster but found nothing.

    Tak Tuckerby Mike Lynch 2011

  • What it means is that under current weather conditions (32 degrees Fahrenheit) with all energy-consumptive features in use (satellite radio, windshield defroster, cabin heat set at 74 degrees Fahrenheit, headlamps fully on, front-seat heat set at midrange) we theoretically can drive that far, at a speed of 100 mph, before needing that gasoline-fueled assistance.

    2011 Chevrolet Volt Warren Brown 2011

  • Outside the Cherokee, Joe Lee pauses to salute Kenny through the defroster lines of the hatchback.

    Man with a Gun Frankie Sachs 2011

  • Signal well in advance of a lane change, and crank up the defroster.

    Dr. Gridlock: Tips for afternoon driving Robert Thomson 2010

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